


Alix Kubdel & The Awful, Disastrous, Out of Control, Magical Birthday

by scapegoat



Series: "Intros Into Arcane/Occult" with Alya Césaire & The Luckyblog [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alix Kubdel Needs a Hug, Badass Alix Kubdel, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Best Friends, Biological Family Issues, Birthday Party, Child Abuse, Curses, Evil Plans, Families of Choice, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Jealousy, Mr. Kubdel's (Miraculous Ladybug) A+ Parenting, Protective Lê Chiến Kim, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Protective Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Rabbit Alix Kubdel | Bunnyx, Secret Identity Reveal, Sibling Rivalry, Temporary Character Death, Time Loop, Time Magic, Time Powers, Time Shenanigans, Time Travel Side Effects, repeated character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:41:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26006629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scapegoat/pseuds/scapegoat
Summary: There’s nothing quite like celebrating your birthday by dying repeatedly and having to repeat the day over and over again. Huh. Alix could swear there was a movie about this? Though she’s ninety percent certain the protagonist never got to chat with their future self.
Relationships: Alix Kubdel & Fluff, Alix Kubdel & Future Alix Kubdel | Future Bunnyx, Alix Kubdel & Lê Chiến Kim, Alix Kubdel & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Alix Kubdel & Tom Dupain & Sabine Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Alix Kubdel & Lê Chiến Kim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Alix Kubdel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg & Lê Chiến Kim
Series: "Intros Into Arcane/Occult" with Alya Césaire & The Luckyblog [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852921
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Alix Kubdel & The Awful, Disastrous, Out of Control, Magical Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug nor do I make money from writing
> 
> A/N: Huh. I noticed a pattern. Not all the side stories will start with the character’s name... at least I don’t think they will.
> 
> Anyway, this takes place during chapter four of "Vlog For Me." Well, during the beginning of chapter four.

_Sat, Sept 12 th, 2020_

  
“Alix! _Alix_ , wake up!” Blue eyes snap open and the pink-haired teen sits up headbutting her kwami in the process. “Ow. I should’ve known better...”

  
“Fluff? Wha—? What the fuck?”

  
“Today’s the 12th... of September.”

  
“Shit!” She hops out of bed. “ _That day_. This day _sucks_. What did I miss?”

  
Fluff opens a portal then sticks their head through it for a few seconds then sticks their head back out and the portal disappears. “It’s looking pretty bad. We need to get out there.”

  
Alix groans, “fucking sadistic sages. ‘Fourteen lives for fourteen years.’ Assholes.” The teen balls up her fists, “I’m gonna need a few drinks and a boiling hot shower before this day is over. Clockwise, Fluff. Let’s go save... my mini-self.”

  
🐇

  
The siren is wailing and Alix coughs up blood as she squints at the smoky sky. She can’t feel half her body and the half she does feel feels like it’s on fire while being drilled.

  
“ _Fuck_!” A voice hisses. A familiar voice. A blue-eyed, white-haired woman in a rabbit costume hovers in Alix’s line of sight grimacing. “Oof. Yeah. _That’s bad_. Hang in there, Mini.” An umbrella pops open then Alix feels herself being lifted. “I always thought this fucking trial was overkill.” Her grimace deepens, “terrible word choice.” She sighs, “side effects are gonna be a bitch to get through but you’re a tough one, Alix Kubdel. Never forget that. And _never_ lose that fighting spirit.”

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Alix walks up with a jolt, fist connecting with her brother’s nose.

  
Jalil howls in pain cradling his bloody nose in his hands. Their father sighs, “I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted!” He ushers Jalil out of the bedroom, “happy birthday, Alix. I made breakfast, it’s downstairs.”

  
The pink-haired teen groggily sits up in her bed with a yawn. Her clock reads 12:32pm. The numbers fizz out and the clock reads 0003 for about second then it fizzes back to 12:32pm.

  
Weird.

  
Alix squints at the clock until it reads 12:33pm, then she gets out of bed.

  
Once she’s finished showering, washing her hair, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed she shuffles into the kitchen.

  
“Happy birthday.” Her father kisses her on the forehead, “I have something for you.” When she sits down at the table, her father hands her a box. Alix opens the box taking out a steel circular object. “Open it.” Her father instructs.

  
Shrugging, Alix pops open the object looking at the numbers and the rabbit ears for hands, “a _watch_?” She looks up at her father.

  
“A pocket watch.” He corrects, “it’s a Kubdel family heirloom for the second-born.”

  
Alix glances at Jalil across the table miserably shoveling cereal into his mouth, then glances back at her father. “Do first-borns get anything?”

  
“Oh yes.” Jalil interrupts, “we get the knowledge knowing we’re not good enough to receive the pocket watch.”

  
“Jalil, we talked about this.” Alix rolls her eyes. It’s her birthday. She’s not dealing with her brother’s drama today. “There’s a watch designated for every Kubdel of every generation. Your brother received a wristwatch.” Jalil scoffs, “just like your aunt received a cuckoo clock.”

  
“Why all the watches and clocks and stuff?”

  
Her father chuckles, “there’s a long-standing tradition of folks claiming the Kubdels’ were ‘ahead of their time.’”

  
🐇

  
After breakfast, Alix makes her way to the boulangerie pâtissèrie. Sabine and Tom hug her as soon as she enters the building. “Happy birthday, Alix!”

  
“Thanks.”

  
They kiss her on the forehead when they release her. Sabine Cheng is the closest thing she and Kim have to a mother since both of their moms died when they were young.

  
Alix heads upstairs to Marinette’s room. When she knocks on the trapdoor, she hears a thud before Marinette opens it. “ _Alix_! Hi, happy birthday!”

  
“Same to you.” The blue-haired teen moves so Alix can enter her room. The two girls greet each other with a cheek kiss, although Marinette has to bend down to Alix’s height. It has been a while since she’s been inside Marinette’s bedroom. Fabrics and her projects are littering the light violet-red walls, along with pictures of the two of them plus Kim. Every one of her mannequins is wearing half-finished clothing. The floor is a purple wood. Huh. Now Alix knows least time she was here there was a carpet.

  
“What happened to your floor?” Marinette looks at her, “I mean I’m digging it but... you used to have a carpet, right? Or was it a rug? I can never remember the difference.”

  
“Right. It has been a while since you’ve been here. Since the before summer, right? I burned some of the carpet trying to torch something—” She clears her throat, “I also spilled grape juice on another part and it wasn’t coming out no matter how much we cleaned it. Following several other... incidents, bàba and māmā ripped up the carpet. The wood is called purpleheart. They say it’s close to indestructible meaning it’s Marinette proof.”

  
“You changed the walls too, right?” Marinette nods. “I just painted my walls red. Huh. You haven’t been to my place in a while either. I guess now that school’s back we’ll be hanging out at each other’s places again.” Alix pulls out a small wrapped object from her pocket. “Got you something.” She tosses the object at Marinette who catches it then tosses what was in her hand at Alix. “Ooh. Thanks.”

  
“Thank you.” They open their presents at the same time. Marinette chuckles at the miniature sewing machine in her hands, “this is the cutest thing ever! I didn’t even know they made sewing machines this small. Does it work?”

  
“The lady at the store said it does. Finger skates?” Alix laughs, “these are adorable.” They hug each other.

  
🐇

  
The party, they’ve had for the past – what – eight? nine years is always at 4 which gives Alix three hours to do whatever before heading to the party.

  
Waiting at the stop light, she digs her hands in her pockets. _Oh_. She forgot about the pocket watch. With a shrug, she pulls it out of her pocket and looks at it. There’s a rabbit etched into it and its ears sticking up are the button that opens the pocket watch.

  
Alix rubs her finger along the pocket watch and it _bites her_. She drops the pocket watch breaking it. Her finger has very visible teeth marks on it, and it’s bleeding. She bends down to pick up her pocket watch looking up at the car speeding toward her.

  
Screaming, she narrowly manages to avoid the car that slams into the telephone pole behind where she was just standing. Catching her breath, she gets to her feet and stares wide-eyed at the now bent pole. The driver rushes out of the car to check her over, apologizing profusely.  
  


Several bystanders on the street rush over to her as well.

  
Alix tries to assure everyone she’s alright, then the telephone pole snaps. There’s barely time to react before the pole lands on her.

  
People are screaming and crying and the last thing Alix sees is a pair of white rabbit ears.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Alix wakes up with a jolt, fist connecting with her brother’s nose.

  
Her brother howls in pain cradling his bloody nose in his hands as their father pats him on the back consolingly. “I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted!” He sighs ushering Jalil out of her bedroom. “Happy birthday, Alix. I made breakfast, it’s downstairs.”

  
The pink-haired teen nods groggily sitting up in her bed with a yawn. Her clock reads 12:32pm. The numbers glitch and the clock reads 0004 for about a second then it glitches back to 12:32pm.  
  


Alix’s eyes narrow. “Wait a second...” The time turns to 12:33pm.

  
She rubs her eyes and the clock still reads 12:33pm. Glaring at the clock, she gets out of bed then walks to the bathroom.

  
Once she’s finished showering, washing her hair, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed she shuffles into the kitchen.

  
“Happy birthday.” Her father kisses her on the forehead, “I have something for you.” When she sits down at the table, her father hands her a box. Alix opens the box taking out a steel circular object. “Open it.” He instructs.

  
Shrugging, Alix pops open the object looking at the numbers and the rabbit ears for hands, “a _watch_?” She looks up at her father.

  
“A pocket watch.” He corrects, “it’s a Kubdel family heirloom for the second-born.”

  
Alix glances at Jalil across the table miserably shoveling cereal into his mouth, then glances back at her father. “Do first-borns get anything?”

  
“Oh yes.” Jalil interrupts, “we get the knowledge knowing we’re not good enough to receive the pocket watch.”

  
“Jalil, we talked about this.” Alix rolls her eyes. It’s her birthday. She’s not dealing with her brother’s drama today. “There’s a watch designated for every Kubdel of every generation. Your brother received a wristwatch.” Jalil scoffs, “just like your aunt received a cuckoo clock.”

  
“Why all the watches and clocks and stuff?”

  
Her father chuckles, “there’s a long-standing tradition of folks claiming the Kubdels’ were ‘ahead of their time.’”

  
🐇

  
After breakfast, Alix makes her way to the boulangerie pâtissèrie. Sabine and Tom hug her as soon as she enters the building. “Happy birthday, Alix!”

  
“Thanks.”

  
They kiss her on the forehead when they release her. Sabine Cheng is the closest thing she and Kim have to a mother since both of their moms died when they were young.

  
Alix heads upstairs to Marinette’s room. When she knocks on the trapdoor, she hears a thud before Marinette opens it. “ _Alix_! Hi, happy birthday!”

  
“Same to you.” The blue-haired teen moves so Alix can enter her room. The two girls greet each other with a cheek kiss, although Marinette has to bend down to Alix’s height. It has been a while since she’s been inside Marinette’s bedroom. Fabrics and her projects are littering the light violet-red walls, along with pictures of the two of them plus Kim. Every one of her mannequins is wearing half-finished clothing. The floor is a purple wood. Alix looks around the room. The room looks familiar and yet... she knows she hasn’t been in here since May. “Love what you did with the place.”

  
Marinette chuckles, “thanks. I gotta tone it down though.”

  
“I like it the way it is.”

  
“I haven’t even cleaned it yet. You may change your tune when you see how it’s supposed to look.”

  
Alix pulls out a small wrapped object from her pocket. “Got you something.” She tosses the object at Marinette who catches it then tosses what was in her hand at Alix. “Ooh. Thanks.”

  
“Thank you.” They open their presents at the same time. Marinette chuckles at the miniature sewing machine in her hands, “this is the cutest thing ever! I didn’t even know they made sewing machines this small. Does it work?”

  
“The lady at the store said it does. Finger skates?” Alix laughs, “these are adorable.” They hug each other. “Alright. I’m heading out. See you at 4.” Marinette waves as she makes her way down the steps.

  
🐇

  
The party, they’ve had for the past – what – eight? nine years is always at 4 which gives Alix three hours to do whatever before heading to the party.

  
Waiting at the stop light, she digs her hands in her pockets. _Oh_. She forgot about the pocket watch. With a shrug, she pulls it out of her pocket and looks at it. There’s a rabbit etched into it and its ears sticking up are the button that opens the pocket watch.

  
Alix rubs her finger along the pocket watch and it _bites her_. She juggles the pocket watch in her hands, nearly dropping it on the sidewalk, glaring at it. Her finger has very visible teeth marks on it and it’s bleeding. “What the—?” Her head snaps up at the tire screeching noise. A car is speeding toward her. She barely manages to dive out of the way.

When she gets up, warily eyeing the bent telephone pole, moving in the opposite direction of the pole’s bent direction, the driver runs out of the car apologizing profusely as they check her over.

  
Several bystanders on the street rush over to her as well.

  
The telephone pole creaks loudly then falls onto the street, mere centimeters away from the forming crowd.

  
🐇

  
Vinh opens the door and leans against it, “Happy B-Day, Jellybean.”

  
“Thanks, Vinh... so I almost got crushed by a car few minutes ago.”

  
“ _What_!?”

  
Alix nods, “then there was the telephone pole that could’ve also crushed me.”

  
The brunette all but pulls the pink-haired teen inside the apartment. “This is terrible! Are you okay?”

  
“Little shaken up. Oh and my new – not really new pocket watch _bit_ me.” Vinh stares at the pocket watch Alix pulls out of her pocket.

  
“It _bit you_?” Alix holds up her finger. “It bit you. But how?” Alix shrugs. “Hmm. Magic. It’s gotta be. I mean, we got superheroes and stuff roaming the city, right? Who says your pocket watch isn’t magic?”

  
“What do I do?”

  
“Research. That’s what I do prior to any case. Where’d the watch come from?”  
  


“My old man. He said it’s an heirloom for the second-born.”

  
“What does the first-born get?”

  
“A different type of watch Jalil isn’t too thrilled about having.”

  
“I bet your brother knows about what’s happening and is just elated to see you suffer.”

  
“I know Jalil and I aren’t close but I don’t think he’d be cool with me getting hurt by something he wants.” Vinh shrugs. Alix sighs, “if he doesn’t know what’s going on maybe my père might? He’s the second born of seven kids.” Alix frowns, “but this ‘second-born’ thing is weird. As far as I know, gramps was the second born of a bucket of kids. Same with my old man. Then my papa only had me and Jalil.”

  
“Might be a good idea to revisit some family albums... if your family believed in such things.”

  
“Boy do they.” Alix shakes her head, “alright. Thanks, Vinh.”

  
“You’re welcome. I hope the rest of your birthday is better than you nearly getting killed twice and accosted by your own jewelry.”

  
“You and me both.”

  
🐇

  
Leaving Kim and Vinh’s apartment, Alix makes her way to the bookstore.

  
“Alix! Happy birthday.”

  
“Thanks, man.” She approaches the counter and the owner is leaning against it, “I don’t suppose you have any books on magical artifacts... do you?”

  
“Depends on what kind of artifact you’re looking for.”

  
“Pocket watches.”  
  


“Hmmm...” The owner flexes his fingers then begins typing, “watches aren’t inherently magical or mystic, _but_ they are predominately used as foci.”

  
“Huh?”

  
“A focusing point for magic. Mysticism is the purest form of magic, but it’s magic that needs an object to use.”  
  


“Huh?”

  
The owner chuckles, “your pocket watch is the foci for your magic.”

  
“ _My_ magic? I don’t got magic.”

  
“Oh yes, you do. It’s basically exploding out of your body.”

  
“Mac, you’ve always been weird but this is taking the cake.”  
  


“You came to me about your magical pocket watch.”

  
“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, I’m saying you’re being weirder than usual.” Alix takes the pocket watch out of her pocket and puts it on the counter. “You’re saying this ancient thing my papa got from his papa is the focusing point for my ‘magic?’”

  
“The watch has magic all its own. That is both a foci for you and a foci for itself. Most of your magic is within. It’s latent.”  
  


Alix nods slowly, “right. I suppose magic isn’t supposed to make sense.”

  
“True. By the way, be careful. I feel something evil surrounding you. The book you want is in the self-help section.”  
  


“Ironic.”

  
“Indeed.”

  
Alix thumbs through the self-help section of the store and finds a book on mysticism. The moment she opens the book she gets a paper cut, then her pocket watch _bites_ her again. “I’m getting real sick of your shit...”

  
“Uh... are you talking to a pocket watch?”  
  


Alix glances over at Nathaniel holding some art supplies in his hands. “What if I am?”

  
The redhead shrugs, “you’ve done weirder. Happy birthday.”  
  


“Thanks. Listen, you’re weird: what do you know about foci and mysticism?”

  
“I know that foci is just another word for a focusing point but I don’t know anything about, what was it you said?, mystic-cism? I’ve never heard of that.”

  
“Then it’s your lucky day to learn.” Alix grabs him by the arm then they head to a table.  
  


Alix puts the book on the table then puts her pocket watch beside it.

  
“Where’d you get the pocket watch from anyway?”

  
“My papa. Said it’s an heirloom for the second-born. Didn’t say why he was giving it to me _now_ though, now that I think about it.”

  
“Maybe the number fourteen is special?” Nathaniel sets down his supplies carefully, “I made this for you.”

  
Alix unrolls the rolled up piece of paper he gives her and smiles, “aww. You big sap.” She reaches over the table to ruffle his hair. The redhead blushes swatting her hands away. Alix rolls the paper back up, “I’ll take this home before I head to Marinette’s.” Alix grins at Nathaniel, “ _speaking of Marinette_ , what did you make her?”

  
“I drew her a picture of all of us together too, b-but then she went ahead and grew about twenty centimeters in two-and-a-half months! How does that happen!?”

  
“Growth spurt? Hormones? Genetics? Metabolism? Take your pick.”

  
“I don’t think your metabolism has anything to do with height... but I don’t know enough about it to dispute your claim.” Alix shrugs and Nathaniel shakes his head, “aren’t we supposed to be talking about mysticism—”

  
“Do you still have a crush on Marinette?” Nathaniel’s visible eye widens. “Guess that’s a yes.”

  
“Y-You had a crush on Kim!”

  
Alix shudders, “don’t remind me.” They glare at each other, “you should ask Marinette out.”

  
“She’ll only say yes because I’m a friend of her friend. I don’t even think I’ve ever spoken a sentence to her. And I don’t really have a romantic crush on her anymore so much as I admire her fearlessness.” He rubs the back of his neck, “she inspires me to be braver. I mean she stands up to Chloé, day after day, every day – and has done so for the past two years!”

  
To Nathaniel’s surprise, Alix beams at him. “I’m all for that. Congratulations! _Oh_. Is that why you’re helping Alya with the luckyblog?”

  
He nods, “Max said I could get my drawings out there. Maybe somebody famous would see them and ask around.”

  
“That’s true.” Alix ruffles his hair again, “I’m so proud of you, man.”

  
“B-But that isn’t the main reason. I-I genuinely want to help. Having my art out there is one thing but if I can help the heroes in any way I want to. Even if it’s just informing them where an akuma or amok might turn up.” Alix’s smile widens causing Nathaniel to blush. “B-But I’m not making this out to be about me.”

  
“You know what I think? I think Alya should’ve went for Karma instead of Lady Luck. Karma seems so much more personable. I mean, she helped that tall purple-haired girl with her photo curse. I didn’t even see Lady Luck when that happened.”

  
The redhead casually waves his hand in the air. “And I suppose you of all people would know, given you’re of a similar height.”

  
“Make all the short jokes you want, Kurtzberg, I’m gonna get tall – you’ll see. Maybe not as tall as Marinette ...or Kim but tall.” Nathaniel reaches over to ruffle Alix’s hair.  
  


🐇

  
Alix leaves the bookstore more confused than when she arrived. A magic pocket watch that keeps biting her. She bought a couple of magical artifact related books but she doesn’t know how much help they’re gonna be.

  
“ _Alix Kubdel_!”

  
It feels like everything is moving in slow motion as an akuma-possessed individual charges at her with cleavers arms.

  
🐇  
  


“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Alix wakes up with a jolt, fist connecting with her brother’s nose.

  
Jalil howls in pain, cradling his bloody nose in his hands. Their father sighs, patting him on the back consolingly. “I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted.” He shakes his head, ushering Jalil out of Alix’s bedroom. “Happy birthday, Alix. I made breakfast, it’s downstairs.”

  
“Wait a minute!” But the door closes. Alix glares sat the clock that reads 12:32pm. The numbers change right before her very eyes into 0005 then change back to 12:32pm. “Oh fuck... am—am I being time looped?!” She jumps out of bed then looks around her room. She looks under her bed, in her closet, all around every available nook and cranny of the room before standing on the bed. “ _What the fuck is happening_?!” She screams at the ceiling.

  
The pink-haired teen warily gets ready for the day. She suspiciously eyes her brother as he miserably shovels cereal into his mouth. “Happy birthday!” Her father kisses her on the forehead, “I have something for you.” Alix cautiously sits down and her father hands her a box.

  
Alix eyes the box slowly opening it and examining the circular object. “A watch...” She glances up at her father squinting. For some reason, just looking at this... _thing_ is angering her.

  
“A pocket watch.” He corrects, “it’s a Kubdel family heirloom for the second-born.”

  
Jalil angrily shovels more cereal into his mouth. Alix spares him a glance then returns her attention to her father. “Do the first-borns get anything?”

  
Jalil scoffs, “oh yes. We get the knowledge knowing we’re not good enough to receive the pocket watch.”

  
“Don’t you ever get tired of bitching?” Jalil’s nostrils flare.

  
“ _Please_!” Their father admonishes. The siblings continue to glare at each other.

🐇

  
The Kubdels were ‘ahead of their time’ or so their father told her. Alix heads to the boulangerie pâtissèrie. She heads there to see Marinette now then she heads back there later for their joint party at 4. Once she steps inside the shop, Sabine and Tom hug her. “Happy birthday, Alix!”

  
“Thanks.”

  
They kiss her on the forehead when they release her. Sabine Cheng is the closest thing she and Kim have to a mother since both of their moms died when they were young.

  
Alix heads upstairs to Marinette’s room. When she knocks on the trapdoor, she hears a thud before Marinette opens it. “ _Alix_! Hi, happy birthday!”

  
“Happy birthday.” The blue-haired teen moves so Alix can enter her room. The two girls greet each other with a cheek kiss, although Marinette has to bend down to Alix’s height. Alix has been short since birth but she wasn’t expecting Marinette’s height to nearly double in just three short months. It’s been a while since Alix has been inside Marinette’s bedroom. Come to think of it, it's been a while since she's been to the shop entirely. Fabrics and her projects are littering the light violet-red walls, along with pictures of the two of them plus Kim. Every one of her mannequins is wearing half-finished clothing. The floor is a purple wood. Alix looks around the room. The room looks familiar and yet... she knows she hasn’t been in here since May. “Love what you did with the place.”

  
Marinette chuckles, “thanks. I gotta tone it down though. Maybe clean up some of the fabrics on the wall.”  
  


“I like it the way it is. The chaotic energy it's giving off is very Marinette.” Marinette chuckles. Alix pulls out a small wrapped object from her pocket. “Got you something.” She tosses the object at Marinette who catches it then tosses what was in her hand at Alix. “Ooh. Thanks.”

  
“Thank you.” They open their presents at the same time. Marinette chuckles at the miniature sewing machine in her hands, “this is the cutest thing ever! I didn’t even know they made sewing machines this small. Does it work?”

  
“The lady at the store said it does. Finger skates?” Alix laughs, “these are adorable.” They hug each other. “Alright. I’m heading out. See you at 4.” Marinette waves as she makes her way down the steps.

  
Leaving the shop, Alix waits at the stop light digging her hands in her pockets. Huh? She forgot she stuck her pocket watch in her pocket after her father’s spiel. Shrugging, Alix pulls the pocket watch out of her pocket and looks at it. There’s a familiar looking rabbit etched into it and its ears sticking up are the button that opens the pocket watch.  
  


Alix rubs her thumb along the pocket watch and it _bites her_. “What the fuck!?” She looks at her bleeding thumb with the very visible bite marks on it and glares at the pocket watch. How... just _how_...?

  
Her head snaps up at the tire screeching noise. A car is speeding toward her. Eyes widening, she barely manages to dive out the way. The car slams into a telephone pole and the telephone pole bends then falls into an ambulance truck.

  
As she’s still catching her breath from diving out of the way of the car, the ambulance swerves into the building narrowly missing potentially pinning her. Alix gapes at the truck.  
  


Marinette runs out of the boulangerie pâtissèrie hugging her. The contact startles the pink-haired teen into looking up at Marinette. “I heard this big _boom_ then I saw what just happened. You could’ve been killed! Are you okay?”

  
Alix nods slowly, “yeah. Surprisingly.”

  
Bystanders crowd around the ambulance truck helping the injured driver out of the vehicle, as well as helping the man from the car.

🐇

  
Alix walks to the bookstore in a daze. She shuffles toward the counter where the owner is eyeing her warily. “Rough day?”  
  


“Almost got hit by a car, telephone pole, _and_ slash or ambulance truck.” The owner’s eyes widen, “I need a book on magic artifacts.”

  
“You mean like foci?”

  
Alix throws her hands in the air, “sure.” With a sigh, she rests her head on the counter.

  
“I was gonna wish you a happy birthday but I don’t want to anger you.” Alix snorts. “Ah! Your foci book is in the self-help section.”

  
Alix raises her had with a glare, “that’s a cruel irony.”

  
“Is it though?”

  
Alix makes her way to the self-help section of the bookstore. Nathaniel is trying to stack something on his already overcrowded hands. “ _Nathaniel_!” The redhead startles, but somehow manages to keep everything in his hands.

  
“Alix! Happy birthday.”

  
Alix drags the redhead to the table making sure he doesn’t drop anything. “We need to talk about magic.”

  
“Huh?” She sets down the book opening it. Nathaniel looks over her shoulder and starts reading alongside her.

  
“Fire!” Someone shouts. People start frantically running out the bookstore but Alix doesn’t see or smell anything suspicious.  
  


“What are you doing?” Nathaniel asks, gathering his belongings.

  
“Something doesn’t feel right, man.” Alix opens the pocket watch and furrows her eyebrows at the hands that keep spinning. Well, that’s no help (not to mention a little freaky). Frowning, she closes the pocket watch.  
  


“We can contemplate that after we get out of here.” Alix allows herself to be pulled toward the bookstore’s entrance. Nathaniel tries to open the door but it doesn’t budge. “Uh-oh.” Alix turns to the redhead, “the door’s locked.”

It’s a small bookstore that only has one way in and one way out. When Alix runs over to the window, she sees it’s boarded up but not before a shadow tosses a match into the building that lands right on a strategically-placed open canister of gasoline.

  
“Fucking son of a _bitch_!”

  
🐇  
  


“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Alix wakes up with a jolt, fist connecting with her brother’s nose.

  
Jalil cries out in pain cradling his bloody nose in his hands as their father rolls his eyes patting his eldest on the back. “I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted.” He ushers Jalil out of the room. “Happy birthday, Alix. I made breakfast. It’s downstairs.”

  
Alix turns to the clock. She stares at it and it reads 12:32pm, then the numbers fade out replaced by 0006 then the actual time resumes.

  
“Six... six times I’ve woken up? Wait a minute... am I being _time looped_? No. _No._ No, no, no, no. Fuck this. I’m going back to bed.” Grumbling to herself, Alix flops back on her bed closing her eyes. She’ll wake up for the party.

  
She hears her door open and she peeks an eye open watching Jalil enter the room. “Pathetic. _You’re_ supposed to be the Avatar of Time?” Okay, she’s never heard her brother sound like _that_ before. With a sigh, Alix opens her eyes in time to see the malicious smile on her brother’s face as he puts a pillow on her face.

  
She thrashes underneath the pillow but he just sits on her. “You make me sick. _I_ should’ve been the Avatar of Time! **No one** knows more about magic and time abilities than I do! At first when I received the news I had to kill you so you could unlock your potential, I... I admit it appealed to me. Kill you repeatedly without it being permanent? Who’d refuse? We’re so much better off without you in the picture. You should really be _thanking me_ for willing to get so involved. I guess I get some satisfaction knowing all it takes is a little shove out a window or a pillow over your stupid face and it snuffs out ‘that great warrior spirit’ of yours. I have time powers too, Alix. And mine are greater than yours will ever be—”

  
“Don’t you ever get tired of bitching?” _Wait_. Alix knows that voice. A fucking shame she’s over here _dying_ and can’t place a face to it.

  
“She hasn’t died yet. Or rather _you_ haven’t died yet. Why are you here?” Alix hears a thud then Jalil cries out in pain. She can literally breathe a sigh of relief as the pressure shifts off her face.  
  
  
“You fucking sadist. I enjoyed every punch to your fucking pitiful face. You think your powers are better than mine? Prove it.” Alix yelps, or tries to, as Jalil applies more pressure to the pillow.

  
“I’ll deal with _you_ once she’s out of the picture.”

  
“Big man picking on a fourteen-year-old girl. You know why you’re such a useless piece of shit? Because you’re willing to get possessed because of things out of my control! I didn’t ask to be born second.”  
  


“You shouldn’t’ve been born at all!”

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Alix’s eyes snap open and she surges up headbutting Jalil. He cries out in pain cradling his bloody nose. Their father gasps.

  
“Oh dear. I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted.”

  
“You fucking—!” Alix jumps out of bed tackling Jalil to the ground, “you suffocated me, you fucking piece of shit!” She repeatedly punches him in the face.

  
“Alix, calm down!” Their father grabs her by the waist pulling her off her brother. “What on earth has gotten into you?” Alix screams flailing in his arms, then stares at the clock; it reads 0007 briefly – before either Jalil or their father can look at the clock – then it turns to 12:33pm.

  
Jalil, cradling his nose, glares at her. “She must’ve had a nightmare.”

  
“You’re gonna be having nightmares when I’m through with you, Motherfucker!”

  
“Alix, stop this. Breakfast is downstairs. Go... wash up to calm yourself down.”

  
“He’s trying to kill me, papa! In fact, he already did!” Alix gasps, “the numbers. I- _I keep dying_! I’m going through a time loop!”

  
“What? What are you talking about?”

  
Alix slips out of her father’s grasp then rushes to the bathroom.

  
“I’ll—”

  
“ _I’ll_ check on her.”

  
Once their father leaves the room, Jalil grabs the portable hair dryer from Alix’s vanity then stalks toward the bathroom. It’s all too easy convincing their old man. One of the perks of being the favorite, Jalil supposes. He doesn’t bother knocking as he opens the door, “it took you six deaths to realize you’re stuck in a loop?” Alix partially lifts her head as Jalil turns on the hairdryer tossing it into the sink, full of water. “Time’s screwed if it’s in your hands.” Then he walks out the bathroom as his sister is being electrocuted.  
  


🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Alix wakes up with a jolt, fist connecting with her brother’s nose.

  
Okay. So maybe some small part of Alix has started enjoying that bit. Especially how Jalil cries out in pain cradling his bloody nose in his hands as their father rolls his eyes patting his eldest on the back. Now that she knows her own fucking brother is responsible for murdering her on _at least_ two separate occasions. “I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted.” He ushers Jalil out of the room. “Happy birthday, Alix. I made breakfast. It’s downstairs.”

  
Alix eyes the clock that reads 12:32pm. She stares until it flicks to 0008 then back to 12:32pm. “Eight. _Eight fucking times_? No wait, if this is eight then there’s only been seven.” She runs a hand down her face. “Okay Alix, _think_. It’s not your strongsuit but you got no choice. What happened to you today? There was the pole, the bastard electrocuting you, the bastard _suffocating you_...” She frowns, “after hanging with Nathaniel I got hit by an ambulance truck. Wait, no... wait, _yes_. No. The ambulance was before hanging with Nathaniel. What happened after? There was... _something_. What am I missing? If I’ve died seven times already I’d at least like to remember how!”

  
She gets up and starts pacing. “Vinh will believe me. She already did when I made it to her. Then there’s Nathaniel. Should I tell Marinette? Yeah. She’s cool. Kim might believe me too.”

  
She stops pacing. “I just have to avoid Jalil. Don’t give him an opportunity to come near me so I can talk to my friends about him _murdering me_. Ooh. I’m gonna punch his face so hard it breaks his nose!”

🐇

  
After breakfast, where her father gives this long-winded speech about the Kubdel’s being ‘ahead of their time’ which she understands _now_ – thank you very much, old man. She cautiously makes her way to the boulangerie pâtissèrie. If Jalil remembers every time loop, then he could be stalking her.

  
But what does he get out of actually murdering her? Besides some sick satisfaction of murdering her. She’s related to a fucking sicko. Kim was right not to trust him.

  
Sabine and Tom hug her as soon as she enters the building. They’re good people, who see the best in everyone – a trait they passed onto their daughter – so she doesn’t want them to know her brother is some kind of time loop happy weirdo. For all Alix knows, he could be the trigger behind this.  
  


Hell, if she gets to kill him at least once she’ll be grateful.

  
The only reason she’s getting Marinette involved, is because she _knows_ Marinette can help her. (She just doesn’t know _how_ she knows that.)

  
When she makes it to Marinette’s room, she hears the thud before the blue-haired girl lets her in. They hug and cheek kiss then Alix plops down on the floor. “I’m gonna die in a few hours.”

  
Marinette drops cup in her hand, shattering it. “ _What_!?”

  
“Jalil’s been killing me all day – possibly, I mean I know he killed me the last two times. Just not sure about the other... five. Anyway, I’m stuck in a time loop. Do you believe me?”

  
“Of course I do! Do you even need to ask? Why is your brother killing you?”

  
“He said something about time powers.”

  
“Time...?” A strange look crosses Marinette’s face, “time powers?” She repeats, “like time travel or... I don’t know time _magic_?”

  
“You know something.”

  
“I don’t know why your bastard of a brother is killing you, Alix. I mean how could I?”

  
“What do you know about time magic?”

  
“Only that it’s dangerous. As it’s said in every cartoon I’ve ever watched regarding it, and let me tell you I have to pool _all_ my cartoon knowledge for this one.” Marinette steps over the broken cup then walks to her desk and retrieves a notepad, “what do we know?”

  
“Jalil has time powers.” Nodding, Marinette writes that down. “Jalil killed me – at least twice – he claims to ‘unlock my time powers.’” Frowning, Marinette writes that down. “I don’t... _exactly_ know how far into the day I make it, but I _know_ I die before our birthday party. Last death I remember was being burned alive inside Mac’s bookstore with Nathaniel.”

  
“Maybe Nathaniel can help you? I mean, I don’t know him well but you do.” Alix nods. “You continuously dying kinda sucks, especially before the party kicks off. The cake is split for both of us with our favorite flavors.”

  
Alix can’t help the snort and Marinette grins at her. “I keep waking up at 12:32pm and when I reset, the clock briefly changes to whatever reset I’m on. This is 0008. Why so many zeroes? I don’t know. Mac from the bookshop gave me some cryptic advice but I don’t remember what it was. I spoke to Vinh who gave me the idea to go to the bookstore. I meet Nathaniel at the bookstore and we ‘research’ pocket watches. Speaking of pocket watches...” Alix pulls out the pocket watch, “this fucking thing _bit me_ twice!”

  
“How did it—” Marinette’s eyes widen comically as the rabbit on the watch bites her finger without opening its mouth. “ _Holy fuck_! Why do you have a possessed pocket watch!?”

  
“I think it’s my time powers. Jalil has a wristwatch but I don’t know what it looks like.”

  
“Look for it the next time you reset.” Alix nods. “I mean, hopefully, we figure out what is causing it—I mean other than you dying. And slash or being murdered by your brother.” Marinette growls. “What a _jerk_. I never liked him!” Alix laughs.

🐇

  
Alix skips the street where she got crushed by the telephone pole possibly after getting hit by the car in a previous reset. _How is this her life now_?!

  
It was a bit difficult considering it was right outside the boulangerie pâtissèrie; which she _just realized_. Her being so damn slow on the uptake could be a reason Jalil keeps catching her off guard. Thinking has never been her strongsuit; she’s more actions now thinking later – if necessary. That’s why she’s grateful she has smart friends.

  
She walks down the opposite side of the street making sure to pay attention to everything. Slow as she may be, she _does_ pay attention to detail. Must be the artist in her.

  
Alix knocks on the door, tapping her foot. The red-haired woman opens the door then blinks. “Alix! So good to see you. Happy birthday.”

  
“Thanks. Um... is Nathaniel here?”

  
“No. He went to the bookstore to get some things. I’m sure you’ll see him at your party.”

  
“If I live that long.” She mutters then waves off the concerned look, “thanks. I’ll see if I can catch him.”

  
Alix walks into the bookstore, passing by the counter and going right into the self-help section picking up the book on foci and mysticism. Before Nathaniel can open his mouth, Alix drags him to the table.

  
“I’m being time looped and I need your help.”

  
Nathaniel’s visible eye widens as he plops in the seat, “what?”

  
“I’m being time looped.” She repeats, “I don’t know how and I don’t know _why_. All I do know is my brother is responsible for it – somehow and that it involves this thing.” She pulls the pocket watch out of her pocket then sets it on the table.

  
“A pocket watch? Looks ancient.”

  
“Probably is.”

  
“Let’s start out with the basics. The stuff you do know.” Nathaniel takes his trusty sketchpad out of his bag then sets it on the table.

  
🐇

  
She gathers all the papers she got from Marinette and Nathaniel in the folder the latter gave her. “ _Look out_!” Someone yells. Someone tackles her out of the way just as an air conditioner lands on where she was just standing.

  
Alix looks up at the old man who winces as he cracks his back standing up.

  
“Dude, you coulda been killed!”

  
“That’s not usually the reaction one gets for saving someone’s life.” He holds out his hand and helps Alix up. “Are you injured?”

  
“More than you know... but not by this.” The old man eyes her with an inquisitive expression. “Anyway, thanks for preventing this death.” She misses his mouth open in shock as she walks off.

  
The pink-haired teen grumbles to herself as she tries to remember every previous incident.

  
Before she can climb up the stairs to Vinh and Kim’s apartment and a sparking electric wire comes out of nowhere hitting her right in the stomach.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” For a second, Alix merely lays there without moving; eyes still closed. “Alix?” Suppressing a sigh, she punches Jalil in the face – a bit harder than previously. He still howls in pain cradling his now broken bloody nose.

  
Alix sits up. The clock flashes 0009 temporarily then goes back to 12:32pm.

  
“Come along, Jalil. I told you we shouldn’t’ve shouted. Happy birthday, Alix. Breakfast is downstairs.”  
  


“I think the air conditioner would’ve been better than fucking being electrocuted.” She grumbles getting out of bed. “Again.”  
  
  
When she looks at her reflection in the mirror, she gasps. Lacerations are surrounding her neck. She has several cool scars on her forehead and it looks like the skin on her ear is peeling off. Her arms are also burned.

  
Lifting up her shirt, she sees her stomach has burns all over it. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck. _Every_ incident is on my body.”

  
Eight separate causes of death on her body: burns, bruises, cuts... the almost even lacerations around her neck lead her to believe she might’ve actually been beheaded! (Okay so that’s slightly cooler than terrifying but she can’t dwell on that.)

  
Alix notices once she’s out of the shower, her causes of death are off her body. There is no non-magical explanation for everything to be washed off when there wasn’t any blood running down the drain as she showered.

  
Alix wipes off the mirror, staring at her reflection. “I have to kill my brother before he kills me.” She spikes up her hair with some gel.

  
She picks up a pair of scissors on the counter and slices her palm, then she puts her bloody palm into her hair mixing it with the hair gel as she styles her hair.

  
If memory serves, she’s been – in no particular order: electrocuted – twice, hit by an ambulance truck (this she vaguely remembers but she remembers moreso the rabbit woman carrying her off), hit by the telephone pole (either crushed or electrocuted, a third time – though chronologically the first), burned alive, beheaded (apparently), and lastly suffocated by her own pillow. Of all the deaths, there’s at least the two she positively knows Jalil is responsible for. Though, to be perfectly honest, she wouldn’t be surprised at all if he was responsible for several others. In any event, all of those add up to seven. She’s missing one.

  
The rabbit woman hasn’t necessarily saved her from dying but she has appeared more often than not.

  
Who was she and why wasn’t she actually helping if she was almost always around?

  
Based on what Jalil said while he was suffocating her, he implied the rabbit woman was – or rather _is_ – Alix, ~~potentially~~ from the future.

  
If that’s true... this time loop must end at some point if she’s alive beyond today and older than fourteen.

  
Alix hadn’t really gotten a good look at the rabbit woman, all she saw was the white rabbit ears, white hair, and familiar blue eyes behind the domino mask.

  
She initially thought it could be her mother, from the past watching over her. Which was why she never did anything. Those blue eyes were too familiar to not be related to her. Alix had seen the pictures of the woman with her cotton candy pink hair and bright blue eyes.

  
Her mother died giving birth to her and her father didn’t seem like he was okay with the exchange. He got (back) together with Jalil’s mother briefly for a few years but they broke up before Alix turned five and her father’s been single since. Burying himself in his work and doing whatever he could to pretty much ignore her existence. Alix had all her friend’s families help raise her since her father and brother were so damn distant. (Not to mention her older brother not so secretly hating her.)

  
Frowning, Alix draws a rabbit’s face in the mirror.

  
Hold up. The mask, the ears, the magic pocket watch – what if future her is wielding a Miraculous?

  
“Figured it out, did you?” Alix sees an additional person behind herself in the mirror. Gasping she turns around and sees a pink-haired woman wearing an all-black sleeveless romper. Tattoos littering her bare (buff) arms, and there’s a sliver of something visible on her neck. Piercings all over her ears, as well as a lower lip ring. “Been having one hell of a day, huh?” There’s a tiny floating white bunny looking thing near her left shoulder.

  
“I forgot how _tiny_ you were!” The bunny thing _gushes_.

  
Alix blinks at the woman, “y-you’re me?” She nods. “I _do_ get tall!”

  
The woman – _future her_ – laughs, “yeah, Mini-me. It does take a while though. A long, long, seemingly endless while. But we finally get there.” She taps her chin. “Wait a minute. Is this reset nine or ten?”

  
“Nine.” The rabbit replies before Current Alix can. “I’m Fluff.” They incline their head, “your kwami partner. As you guessed, Alix Kubdel, you are the Avatar of Time. Once this terrible day is over with you’ll be meeting with the Guardian who is also the Avatar of Space.”

  
“Why is this happening to me?”

  
“The Sages are sadists. That’s the best and only answer I can give you. As the Avatar of Time, you witness a lot of death and you can’t save everyone. Because you get your Miraculous at fourteen, they claim you need to trade fourteen lives for fourteen years.”

  
“I have to die six more times?!”

  
Future Alix nods, “and the worst are yet to come.”

  
“ _Worse_. Gotta say if it’s worse than electrocution or being burned alive, not sure I wanna hear about it.”

  
“You forgot the beheading.”

  
“Ah yes! How could I have forgotten?” She glares at her grinning future self. “How the hell did that even happen?”

  
“Jalil willingly got himself possessed by an akuma.”

  
“Motherfucker...” Current Alix grumbles. “Speaking of my dickhead asshat fuckwit piece of shit shit-for-brains brother, what happens to him?”

  
“You...” She grimaces, “it’s best not to spoil that. I know we don’t care about spoilers but you’re definitely gonna wanna watch it first-hand. There’s no better experience like it.” She rubs her hands together in a circular motion, chuckling darkly. “Just know he gets what he deserves. Also, killing him is fair game considering he just shows back up during every reset with a punch to the face.”

  
“Is Jalil’s time powers because of a Miraculous?”

  
“Huh. Truth be told I honestly don’t know. Jalil’s stolen Miraculous—” Future Alix pauses, “wait, he probably hasn’t done that yet. Damn. Damn near forgot how wild age fourteen was.” With a wink, Future Alix elbows her younger self. “You get some good stuff going on this year so don’t dwell on the bad. Just remember to never lose that fighting spirit.”

  
“You’ve said that to me before... after I got hit by the ambulance truck.”

  
“You remember that. Do you remember every reset?” Current Alix shakes her head. “Ah. They’ll come to you, eventually.”

  
“I’m surprised you didn’t say ‘in time.’”  
  


Future Alix laughs, “I was gonna!” She shakes her head. “We got a bit off track. Let me get back to your previous question. Every Kubdel—” She pauses, “ _nearly every Kubdel_ has time powers. Jalil was the unlucky one to be born without them. Now, knowing our asshole of a brother, you know this didn’t sit well with him. Especially coming to realize what our powers would be. He taught himself everything there was to know about time magic but he still couldn’t use what he learned. Now I don’t know how he stole the Miraculous but it’s time-based. He went through time to give himself time powers.”

  
Current Alix groans, “of course he did. Fucking asshole.”

  
“Jalil has the ability to become a time wraith. You know how the time ball looks in Pokémon when you send it out?” Current Alix nods, “think of that swirl and the little clocks surrounding it. That’s what Jalil looks like in wraith form. The power he stole became corrupted due to his ill-intent. Which is, you know, being better than you. I don’t even know _why_ he’s so damn obsessed, though. Papa _clearly_ favors him more than us otherwise—” When she abruptly stops talking, Alix narrows her eyes at her future self.

  
That’s not good. “What does père do?”

  
Future Alix scowls. “As frank as I can put it: The son of a bitch does nothing. There in itself lied the problem. Don’t worry, we don’t need him. We never did.” She clears her throat. “Back to the Miraculouses bit. The tricky thing with using a Miraculous is... if they sense you’re not using them for the purest of reasons – they’ll become corrupted. It’s the same with Mite and Méfait’s Miraculouses. There’s a pretty safe bet assuming if someone is not the Avatar of the Miraculous they’re using they stole it and therefore corrupted the power.”

  
“Okay, but how would you know?”

  
“That’s... a difficult question to answer. I still don’t know the answer but if someone starts monologuing then— _yeah_. Very high chance they’re evil.”

  
“How old are you?”

  
“Eighteen.”

  
“So... let me see if I get this. Jalil has a stolen time-based Miraculous. Or _will_ have a time-based stolen Miraculous at some point in time before I turn eighteen. He— _wait_. Does he have the ability to be a time wraith now?”

  
Future Alix shakes her head, “now? _Now_ he’s currently just an annoying asshole with daddy issues and an inferiority complex.” She pauses with a frown, “come to think of it, that bit doesn’t change. He just becomes an annoying asshole with daddy issues, an inferiority complex, and the power to wisp through time.”

  
“If I kill Jalil outside the fourteen deaths time loop, will he stay dead?”

  
“ _Great_ question! I’m itching to find an answer to it—” Fluff nudges Future Alix with a frown.

  
“What if Jalil kills me outside the time loop?”  
  


“He wouldn’t but if he tried to I’d kick his ass before he succeeded.”

  
“Why hasn’t he just gone back in time exactly fourteen years from today and erased me from existence completely or, I don’t know, pushed my maman down a staircase or something to prevent my birth?”  
  


“Again, I’d kick his ass before he could follow through. Furthermore, the fucker’s just not that smart. He turns into that cliché villain that just loves to make his ‘arch-nemesis’’ life miserable.” Future Alix rolls her eyes, “what a tool.”

  
🐇

  
Alix kept the swiss army knife she got from her future self in her free hand as she ate breakfast. The entire time Jalil was watching her with a narrowed gaze.

  
How did she never notice the hatred in his eyes before now?

  
How is she gonna be able to live with him once the day finally ends?

  
Maybe _that’s_ what future her meant by their père not doing a damn thing?

  
If the old man has time powers as well, shouldn’t he be aware of what’s going on?

  
The man was obliviously enjoying his breakfast as his children glared at each other across the table.  
  


Damn! She forgot to ask her future self why her time powers waited for her to turn fourteen to become available?

  
Once breakfast was finished, Alix rushed over to the bookstore. While she doesn’t remember the exact order she’s spent the day going from place to place. She remembers the places she went: Vinh and Kim’s apartment, the bookstore where she spots Nathaniel, the boulangerie pâtissèrie. Those are the only places she got to still alive. (Although now that she thinks more about she died right outside two of those places and inside the other.) In her defense, she woke up at 12:32pm and continuously died before 4pm. Before her own damn birthday party. Wow. Jalil couldn’t even wait to kill her after she celebrated her birthday with her friends? He’s such an asshole.

  
Damn, wait. Why she hadn’t _once_ checked the time outside of waking up she’ll never know.

  
This is why she doesn’t bother thinking. It just gives her a headache.

  
Before she can open her pocket watch to see what time it is, she sees Nathaniel walk by.

  
She runs over to the redhead grabbing him by the arm, “being time looped. Need your help.”

  
“Wait, you’re what!?” He allows himself to be dragged toward their destination, surprisingly without dropping anything. It’s not a well-known fact, but Nathaniel is rather clumsy. Like Marinette level clumsy. The only reason it’s not well-known is because Nathaniel is an expert at blending into the background. (The redhead could very well be more clumsy than Marinette.) Alix must be drawn to tall clumsy smart people. Who knew? They would’ve made a cute couple. Wait... _would’ve_? On the way to the table, Alix picks up a book on foci and mysticism as well as a book on time travel.

  
“Do you still like Marinette?”

  
Nathaniel drops everything in his hands, though everything thankfully lands on the formerly empty table. His visible eye widens as he stares at Alix. “W-What!? W-Why would you—”

  
“Yes or no, man.”

  
“N-No... at least, not like that. Sure, she didn’t stop being pretty but my heart doesn’t squeeze in my chest painfully when I look at her. I don’t even think I’ve spoken a clear word to her.” He sighs, “n-now having said that? Marinette’s bravery inspires me. I guess that’s really what I had the crush on?” The redhead squirms a little standing up. “B-Brave people have always been... something I aspired.” He squirms a little more, “c-can we change the subject, please?”

  
“If brave people are what you’re into, you must be into me.”

  
Alix waggles her eyebrows and Nathaniel chuckles, “in a way. You, Kim. Even Chloé bravery to be as unrepentantly obnoxious as she is. It’s not a romantic crush, just a... I don’t know the term for it. Adoration, I guess?” He waves his hands frantically in front of him, “b-but anyway, y-your issue. Let’s fix your issue.”

  
“Right.” Alix slams her swiss army knife down on the table. “How cool are you with committing murder?”

  
“Depends on who it is.” Nathaniel replies without missing a beat.

  
“I _knew_ there was a reason you were one of my best friends.”

  
🐇

  
The second Alix enters the boulangerie pâtissèrie, Sabine and Tom hug her as they wish her a happy birthday.

  
She stubs her toe on the staircase, getting up the second staircase to Marinette’s room.

  
Alix doesn’t bother knocking as she pops open the trap door. Marinette is stretching and her head is between her legs and she’s looking upside down at Alix. “ _Alix_! Hi, happy birthday!” She turns around then picks up Alix, from the trap door.

  
“Happy birthday to you too, Marinette.”

  
The blue-haired teen giggles setting Alix down. “Oh! I have your gift—”

  
“Wait! I love the finger skates but that’s gonna have to wait for a bit. I have something important I need your help with.”

  
Marinette leads her to the chaise where they both sit down, “name it.”

  
“I need you to help me kill Jalil.”

  
Marinette slowly blinks at her, “o-oh... um, alright then. Sure, I’ll help. Any particular reason why though? I mean, I know your brother is an asshole but—murder is a permanent thing.”

  
“His death won’t be permanent.” Marinette’s eyebrows furrow, “I’m stuck in a time loop; death eight of fourteen.”

  
“Why are you stuck in a time loop?”

  
“Might as well tell you since you won’t remember. I’m ‘the Avatar of Time.’” Marinette’s eyes widen considerably. “I know! It’s just a bunch of jumbled words that make no sense together but you gotta believe me. Future me was in my bathroom this loop and answered a few questions for me. Apparently, Jalil gets some kind of time power by going through time and stealing it.”

  
“How?” Alix shrugs. “Well, then _why_?”

  
“You know, because he’s an asshole?”

  
“Aside from that.”

  
“I have time powers and he’s a jealous bitch that didn’t get any himself so he cruised through time in order to get some. The thing is because he’s a shit-for-brains his power is corrupted he’s like a walking time ball release from Pokémon.”

  
“Time ball...? The red and black one with all the clocks?” Alix nods. “Does Future You know how to stop him?”

  
“I...” Alix looks down at the floor, “did not ask.”

  
Marinette facepalms, “ _Alix_! How could you not ask!?”

  
“I was too busy gushing over the fact that in just four years I’m gonna grow~” Alix wraps her arms around her body, “all the years of having my closest friends look down on—” She gasps, “ _I didn’t even bother asking if we’re all still friends in the future_!”

  
“Of course we are.” Marinette interrupts, “unless Jalil kills us all.”

  
“Please don’t joke about that. He already got Nathaniel once.”

  
🐇

  
Kim answers the door when Alix knocks on the apartment door. “‘Sup.”

  
“I’m being time looped and I need your help to kill my brother.”

  
Kim opens the apartment door wider, “let me hear your plan.” Alix walks in the apartment and Kim closes and locks the door behind her. “Vi, you’re off the clock, right?” He asks as Alix takes her shoes off.

  
Vinh pops her head out from behind the kitchen doorway, “I’m so off the clock I’m not even wearing shoes. What’s up?”

  
“We’re planning a murder.”

  
“I’m so glad you closed the door before announcing that.” She sighs. “You might need some legal advice.” She pauses, “though I suppose my first question should be _why_ you’re planning a murder and who you’re planning to murder?”

  
“That was two questions _and_ you’re sounding a bit too lawyer-y now, sis.”

  
She rolls her eyes then puts her hands in the air, “those aren’t lawyer questions, those are I’m concerned for my brother and his friend questions. Is murder the absolute only way this problem can be solved?”

  
“Yes.” Alix plops down on the couch, “I’m being time looped.”

  
Vinh glances at Kim, “what does that mean?”

  
“It means Alix is essentially stuck in a temporal paradox. She’s been experiencing today over and over again with slight changes to every repetition.” Both Alix and Vinh gape at him. “What? I know shit.”

  
Vinh marches over to Kim slapping him upside his head, “are you just _pretending_ to be a dumbass then? Your grades are _bad_ , Kim. Sure, grades don’t defy what a student knows and doesn’t know but the shit your teachers tell me is... unsettling.”

  
“I’m only considered a dumbass because I’m always put in comparison to you. My genius, successful lawyer sister who got perfect marks all throughout collège? I can’t be any smarter than that.” Vinh’s face softens as she hugs Kim.

  
“You big idiot.”

  
“A shame this conversation isn’t gonna get remembered...” Alix mutters. She clears her throat loudly, “hate to break up this example of a nontoxic sibling relationship but I came here for help.”

  
Kim cracks his knuckles, “how are we killing Jalil?”

  
“Ooh. Jalil is the target? That changes things.” Vinh sits on the couch next to Alix, “if I could make a suggestion...?” Alix nods. “I say we trick him into getting something he wants. Your brother is a conceited fucker.”

  
Alix pulls her pocket watch out of her pocket. “He wants _that_?!” The siblings utter simultaneously.

  
🐇

  
Alix actually makes it to her party, but she and Marinette aren’t exactly in the celebratory mood. “Everyone know the plan?” Alix asks. Kim, Marinette, and Nathaniel nod.

  
“Let’s take that asshole out.” Kim says.

  
“Like paintball camp.” Marinette says. Kim and Alix nod beaming. Nathaniel tilts his head to the left, “We’ll tell you about it... sometime. Hands in!” The four of them put their hands in a pile on top of one another’s then cheer.  
  
  
The four of them split up.

  
“Chloé?” Kim spots the blonde skulking around suspiciously. “What the hell are you doing here?”  
  


The blonde glares at him and he glares back. “If you didn’t want people showing up you should’ve made the _event_ private.” She pushes past him to a table.

  
Kim sighs heavily. She’d better not screw up their plans. “Sorry, that’s my fault.” He turns to the pretty orange-haired new girl in their class. “Chloé tried to get me to not show up, but I wanted to see Alix so I suggested we stop by for a bit then go back to Le Grand Paris for some private concert with someone named ‘XY?’”

  
“Chloé’s probably showing off because you’re new. XY’s not even that great. I’m Kim.” He gives the girl a little wave. “I’d be careful if I were you. Chloé seems to only have two attitudes toward people: adoration or hatred.”  
  


“Got it. Thanks for the heads up.”

  
Kim watches a hooded figure walk by. “Anytime. Help yourself to whatever.” Then he runs off. The girl shrugs before heading to Chloé. Kim spots the blonde hastily stuffing things into her purse but he can’t worry about that. The hooded figure is right around the same build as Jalil and he’d never be caught successfully socializing with another individual outside the Louvre. Dammit. If this goes south and they have to reset, Kim’s gonna suggest getting ear pieces or other types of spy paraphernalia.

  
Kim follows the figure as stealthily as he could. Jalil’s a bit shorter than Kim is so Kim uses his height to not get too close to the target but still keep an eye on him.  
  


The target turns slightly picking up a petite four and Kim sees Jalil’s dumb face popping the pâtissèrie into his mouth. It would be _so_ easy to just hit him over the head with a table but Alix wanted to do this with as few people around as possible. Kim had to begrudgingly agree with her idea. Nothing would piss Jalil Kubdel off more than knowing he got the snot beat out of him by two thirteen-year-olds and two fourteen-year-olds, one of which happens to be his baby sister.

  
And the fact that he remembers every incident of every loop means he’ll never forget getting the snot beat out of him by a group of kids he often considered himself “smarter” than.  
  


“Happy birthday, Alix.” Nathaniel automatically flinches at the voice. He “casually” lifts his sketchpad as he crosses his left leg over his write as he “sketched.” He sees Marc offering a large black and green polkadotted box to Alix.

  
“This wrapping paper alone.” Alix says bringing in the blue-haired teen for a one-armed hug. “Thanks. Hey, you can put this at the table where Nathaniel is?” The redhead twitches. _Damn her_. Did they talk about his budding crush on Marc during one of the loops or has all this time looping made Alix omniscient? Or was it omnipotent? He could never tell which was which.

  
Maybe he’s just paranoid? (Given the situation it’s well within his rights to be.) He _is_ at the table with the presents.

  
He barely gets time to think it over because Marc is bounding over to the table. Nathaniel tries to res—refix himself as much as he could without being obvious about it.  
  


Marc was a new edition to François Düpont near the end of last school year. It was... odd for the school to accept a new student when the school year basically ended but Nathaniel hadn’t minded one bit.  
  


They weren’t in the same class but Alix stumbled upon Marc and brought them to the art club. Marc, like Nathaniel, kept to themselves until Alix realized then started inviting Marc to sit with them.  
  


Nathaniel balls up his fists. There’s no way he’s gonna let Jalil or anyone harm Alix.

  
“Hi, Nathaniel.”

  
The redhead has to squint at the sunshine smile from the blue-haired teen. “H-Hi.”

  
Marc sets the polkadotted box down on the table. “Are you drawing something for Alix?”  
  


Nathaniel glances down at his sketchpad and pales at the familiar half-drawn face partially staring back at him. “S-Something like that.”

  
Marc smiles at him and Nathaniel snaps his pencil in two. The redhead sighs. “I have a spare pencil.” Marc takes a portable pencil case out of their pocket and hands a pencil identical to the one Nathaniel just snapped to the redhead. “I always carry around stuff to write with. In case I get an inspiration.”

  
“T-Thank you.” Marc smiles again, “d-d-d-do... do you—” He swallows the lump in his throat, “do you want do something together?” (How did he manage to get that all out?) “L-Like work on a comic or something?” He internally facepalms but retracts that previous though when Marc’s eyes light up.  
  


“Really?” Nathaniel nods. “That sounds like it could be fun. How about we compare what we have and see if we can make a comic out of it?” The redhead nods again. “Okay. I just got an inspiration.” They take the notepad out of their other pocket and unclip the pencil attached. “Thanks for this, Nathaniel. I’ll see you around.”

  
“S-See you.”

  
“Dude.” The redhead jumps turning to Kim crouching behind his chair. “I was tying my shoe and before I could get up _that_ happened and I couldn’t interrupt.”

  
“I know.” Nathaniel sighs, “I’m an eight car pile up.”

  
“More like six.” Kim pats him on the shoulder before stretching and walking off.

  
Jalil surveys the pathetic excuse for a ‘party.’ He can’t do anything to this timeline without Alix getting her Miraculous. He can’t wait for this damn shitshow day to be over.  
  


Jalil couldn’t help noticing Alix got her dumbest friends to keep an eye on him. Come to think of it, all Alix’s friends are dumb. Birds of a feather and whatnot. Admittedly, he didn’t notice the redhead _at all_ until he was occupied with a blue-haired kid. He saw Kim tailing him but then he lost him. And he doesn’t even wanna think about Dupain-Cheng skulking around. He stupidly volunteered for the kids' self-defense class and that girl had one hell of a left hook and that’s when was shorter.

  
Surprisingly, Alix had a solid left hook as well – given her size. Hmm... was her wielding a Miraculous the source of her strength? No one that short should be as strong as Alix is. Probably a mutation the little freak has. ~~She actually broke his fucking noise this reset.~~

  
“Jalil!” Sabine Cheng greets setting a tray down. “Good to see you.”

  
He plasters on his innocent overworked curator face, “you too Mme. Cheng.” How do you play nice with the locals while plotting your sister’s ninth death?

  
Jalil hasn’t seen Alix since breakfast, and he didn’t want to seem so obvious looking for her. _Then again_ , it’s her party – joint party – and he is her brother (unfortunately). Wait a minute. Was he seeing things?

  
“Chloé Bourgeois?” The blonde has a cupcake halfway in her mouth when she turns to him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  
Chloé swallows her food then daintily wipes her mouth with a pink handkerchief. “Why does everyone keep asking that? Matter of fact... who even are you?” He takes his hood off and the blonde grimaces, “oh. You. Thank goodness, Alix has a different maman.” She shakes her head and he scowls. He _could_ always kill her. She’ll just come back once Alix wakes up. The blonde gracelessly stuffs the rest of the cupcake in her mouth as she walks off.

  
Jalil taps his chin. Hold on one second. Chloé was never at the party before – in _any_ reset. Alix did something. But how? She didn’t even get the Miraculous powered up yet.

  
He swallows thickly. How could he not know what’s going to happen in this timeline? Dammit. He should’ve kept the Miraculous just in case.

  
When he enters the boulangerie pâtissèrie, he sees Alix on the counter sharpening a knife. “Gosh, Jalil. Didn’t expect you to just _show up_.” She fake winces at him, “how’s the nose?”

  
Refusing to be baited, Jalil takes a deep breath then eyes his sister. “What will killing me accomplish, baby sister?”

  
“Other than making me feel good? Nothing. I don’t want you fucking ruining my party so I’m gonna get you out of the way.”

  
“And then what? You won’t reset unless you die.”

  
“You think I need _you_ to kill me to reset? Get over yourself.” The pink-haired slides off the counter expertly twirling the knife in her left hand.  
  
  
“You and a knife versus me? I think I have better odds.” Alix smiles at him.

  
Jalil takes a step forward then he feels a knife slicing across his neck. “I should’ve known.” He croaks out clutching his bleeding throat. Future Alix pats him on the back then shoves him to the ground. Jalil’s on his knees glancing at his fourteen-year-old sister. His baby sister seems to have a lot of practice slitting throats in just four short years to know just _how_ to slice him. Speaking of _short_ , she grows taller than him? Just his luck. “You’re gonna regret this.” He snarls.

  
“I thought you said it was instant?”

  
Future Alix goes to stand beside Present Alix. “I’ve only ever done it once and it seemed instant.” Present Alix sighs shaking her head, “anyway, you’d better get back to the party. I’ll clean this up.” Alix high-fives her future self then runs out the boulangerie pâtissèrie. Future Alix opens up a portal and grabs Jalil by the collar tossing him in.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix~_ ” Blue eyes snap open and Alix surges up headbutting Jalil, breaking his nose in the process.

  
Alix gets out of bed pushing Jalil out of the way before their father can walk over to her.  
  


“Alix—”

  
“Don’t talk to me!” She runs into the bathroom slamming the door shut, missing the clock flash 0011 and Jalil’s smirk.

  
“Jalil, are you alright?” He gets up and smiles at his father.  
  


“I’m perfectly alright. You should check on Alix. I’m gonna put ice on my nose.” The man nods approaching the bathroom door.

  
Alix punches the bathroom window cracking it, “what the fuck happened?”

  
“Alix?” Their father knocks on the door, “Alix, open this door.”

  
“Leave me alone, papa.”

  
The man gasps. “Did you... I mean, are you—” He knocks on the door again, “do I need to make an emergency trip to the store? I didn’t think this day would happen so soon—”  
  


“ _Please_ stop talking! I don’t have my period yet. I just have a serious headache.”

  
“O-Oh. I’ll get some medicine for you. Breakfast is downstairs whenever you’re finished.”

  
Alix waits until she hears the footsteps retreating before she screams. She pulls the hair-tie out of her hair. “He had to have done something to me before the party.”

  
Black smoke seeps into the bathroom, unbeknownst to Alix.

  
The pink-haired teen paces the bathroom floor. “Come on, Alix. **Think**.” When she stops and looks at herself in the mirror, she sees the eight previous causes of death on her skin but nothing new. “I didn’t even see Jalil since... breakfast.” Alix gasps. “Breakfast. _My_ breakfast. _That asshole poisoned my breakfast_.” She hisses, “but how did I—or _when did I_?” She marches over to the shower and turns it on. A poison that kills her in four to five hours. If that’s the case why go through all that other shit?

  
The crack in the mirror expands.  
  


“Whoa!” A portal opens and closes tumbling out her future self. “What reset is this?”

  
“Should be ten.”

  
Future her looks around, “ _counterclockwise_.” In a flash of white, Fluff floats out of the steel blue pocket watch on her future self’s hip. “Jalil did something.” Future Alix pops open her pocket watch, Alix peers at it and sees a number eleven on the inside of the top part of the pocket watch.

  
“ _Eleven_? What happened to ten?”

  
“No idea.” Future Alix growls, “I fucking _hate_ this day. Listen, I’m gonna do something a bit... unconventional.”

  
Alix sighs, “go ahead.”

  
“Sorry.” Alix closes her eyes as her future self slams her head into the cracked mirror.

  
🐇

  
“Happy birthday, Alix.” Alix slowly opens her eyes staring at Jalil sneering at her. With a smile, Alix surges up headbutting him before he can react. This time she catches his jaw and busts his lip.

  
“ _Thanks_.” He gives her a dirty look as he holds his bleeding face.

  
Their father sighs, “I told you we shouldn’t’ve just crowded the bed.” He ushers Jalil out of the room, “I made breakfast. It’s downstairs—”

  
“Actually—” He pauses to turn to her, “I’m gonna grab breakfast at Marinette’s.” A strange _look_ passes on his face for like a nanosecond before he schools his features.

  
“If you’re sure. It is your birthday after all.” With a timid smile, he continues ushering Jalil out of the room.

  
Alix turns to the clock that flashes 0012 before turning back to 12:34pm. “If Jalil isn’t the one that made breakfast...” She stares at the doorway, “my papa’s been poisoning me? This whole time he’s been smiling in my face as he’s been meticulously murdering me. Wait... did I use that word right?” She shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter. _That’s_ why Jalil keeps killing me. He doesn’t know anything about breakfast.” She slowly gets out of bed then closes and locks her door. Apparently, she can’t even be too careful in her own home with not just one but both family members plotting her murder.

  
Alix heads to her joint bathroom, keeping the bathroom door open. She walks over to the shower turning it on.

  
She heads back to the bedroom and picks up her phone, sending out a group text to Nathaniel, Kim, and Marinette for an emergency meeting at Nathaniel’s place.

  
🐇  
  


“You’re being time looped?” The three of them echo.

  
Alix nods, “not entirely sure _how_ but I know it somehow involves my family flat out murdering me before the day ends.”

  
“What do you need from us?” Kim asks.

  
“I’m still trying to figure that out.”

  
“What if two of us keep an eye on your papa and brother while the other guards you?” Nathaniel suggests. “And I think we should all be armed. If they’re coming at you with the intent to kill we need to respond accordingly.”

  
“Ooh. Dibs on a baseball bat.” Kim shakes his head, “ _no_. I want a pair of nunchakus.”

  
“I’m afraid you’ll have to get whatever’s available.” Nathaniel states.

  
“Vinh’s got a lot of stuff that can double as weapons! We need to get to my place.”

  
“In the meantime...” Alix pulls out her swiss army knife startling her friends. While her future self hadn’t paid her a visit personally, she left behind the swiss army knife for (Current) Alix’s protection.

  
As the four of them climb down the staircase, Alix grab’s Kim’s arm. “What’s up?”

  
“If push comes to shove, I’m gonna need you to kill me.”

  
“ _What_? W-Why?”

  
“Every time Jalil doesn’t kill me something in the loop goes off. I’m thinking if I die as many times without his interference as I do with it, something’ll give.”

  
“How many times has he killed you so far?”

  
“Four... that I know of. He electrocuted me, suffocated me, I think he said he pushed me out the window of our apartment, and he got possessed by an akuma and beheaded me. Then there’s the possibility of him burning me alive.”

  
Kim sighs, “let’s hope I don’t have to... but I will if I gotta. I won’t like it but I’ll do it.”  
  


“Promise me.”

  
Kim gulps, “I promise, Alix. If you need it done, I’ll do it. Just so you know, that’s _a lot_ to ask of someone.”

  
“I know but I appreciate it.”

  
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, wait. If Jalil only killed you four – possibly five times and you’ve reset twelve you’ve already died more times without his interference. But maybe it’s not just him. Maybe it’s your old man too? How many times has he killed you?”

  
“Only one that I know of. Some of the stuff that happens doesn’t seem like someone was behind it. Just like it...” Alix’s eyes widen, “I sometimes forget my papa is an expert at finding loopholes. Papa would know I’d head to one of you guys’ places so he’d do something to get me killed before I can get help. If I’m even halfway right then he’s responsible, somehow, for me getting hit by the ambulance truck and the telephone pole outside of Marinette’s.”

  
“Damn, you gotta tell me all your deaths when this is over.”

  
“Guaranteed.”  
  


Convinced she has every precise cause of death down, minus the mystery one before this reset and getting electrocuted by that wire, the group heads to Vinh and Kim’s apartment.

  
Vinh arms them with a hockey stick, a bottle of arsenic ( _no one_ asked where she got it from or why she had it), brass knuckles (again, no questions were asked – even though they all really wanted to know why she had such things), and can of aerosol and a lighter.

  
“What? A girl’s gotta protect herself.” Vinh says with a shrug. “Just be careful. All the years I’ve known Jalil Kubdel, he’s been a petty fucker. Can’t imagine how much worse it’ll be if he got superpowers.” She shudders.

  
After concealing their weapons, the group heads to the library to do research.

  
“This is so much easier with more people.” Alix whispers. They each have multiple books on foci and mysticism sprawled out in front of them, as much as the desk would allow.

  
“Hey, check this out.” Nathaniel puts the book he was reading at the center of the table, “this book mentions Miraculouses.” Kim, Alix, and Marinette lean forward to read the line where Nathaniel’s finger is pointing at.

  
“‘Differences between talisman and amulets...’” Kim reads, “‘talismans repel magic from other sources while amulets attract or absorb magical energy from other sources.’”

  
“‘Miraculouses...’” Marinette continues, “‘are the world’s oldest and probably only example of magical trinkets that both repel and absorb outside magic.’’

  
“‘No other source of magical artifacts have such an ability.’” Alix finishes.

  
“Artifacts, talismans, trinkets, charms, idols, totems, amulets...” Kim blows out a breath, “there are a lot of ways to talk about magic using stuff, huh?”

  
“And they all seem to have similar definitions.” Nathaniel points out. “Totems, like talismans, repel magic. Idols absorb magic.”

  
“They call Miraculouses periapts – magical items that absorb and repel outside magics whenever necessary. The book says there are less than 100 Miraculouses in existence.” Marinette hums. “Well, we know of four: butterfly, whatever bird Méfait is, the ladybug, and the cat.”

  
“They’re all animals.” Kim states. “Huh. Didn’t notice that before.”

  
“Méfait was a really flashy bird. What’s a real flashy bird?” Nathaniel asks.

  
“A flamingo.” Alix replies.

  
“An ostrich?” Kim tilts his head to the left.

  
“A pheasant.” Marinette says with a shrug.

  
“I... honestly don’t think I’ve ever heard of any of those birds before.” Nathaniel scratches his head, “are there pictures of them?”

  
“Hold tight. I’ll grab that giant bird book I saw.” Alix gets up then sprints over to the bookshelves.

  
“I think Alix should buy this book.” Kim says, closing the book in the center of the pile and cradling it against his chest. “We should also get all the books that go in-depth about the differences in magical foci.”

  
Nathaniel nods with a hum. “Guess I’ll have to buy more art supplies later. This is more important.”

  
“You guys didn’t see any books on time loops, did you?”

  
“I was looking and I didn’t.” Marinette replies.

  
“Me neither.” Nathaniel frowns. “I’d say I doubt we’d find any but we did find a book that talked about Miraculouses.”

  
Marinette gets up, “I’ll take another look. Maybe it’s in a different section? Just gonna run to the restroom real quick.”

  
The bookstore is small so there’s no way for her to talk to Plagg without someone overhearing. Marinette walks in the ladies’ bathroom then once she makes sure it’s empty, she opens her purse. The cat kwami yawns loudly, “I hate time loops. Damn sadistic sages.”

  
“You’re not saying this is because of a Miraculous, are you?”

  
“You did the reading. What other periapt could do this? Man, been a while since I heard that word.”

  
“Were there other peri... whatever’s not recorded by books?”

  
“No. Miraculouses were created by the powers of a kwami and the intu-intuitiveness... I think that’s a word? The coming together of the sages’ opposable thumbs and our powers.”

  
“You only used the sages for their _thumbs_?” Plagg holds up his arms? Nubs? Paws? Flippers? “Huh.” She points at them, “what do you even call those?”

  
“An annoyance. ‘You would be harder to spot and easier to carry in a smaller corporal form.’” He snorts, “what do they know?”

  
“Were you trying to air quote?”

  
Plagg facepalms. “My point is, while this damned loop isn’t because of Miraculous... I’d recognize this gel of power anywhere. It’s got Baby Bunny smeared all over it.”

  
“Bunnyx?” Marinette facepalms, “ _of course!_ Only the Avatar of Time could...” She trails off as Plagg shakes his head, “no?”

  
“Baby. Bunny.” He repeats.

  
“Baby...?” Marinette gasps, “ _baby_ Bunnyx! This whole thing involves present-day Bunnyx.”

  
Plagg nods, “every Avatar goes through a trial before they can obtain their Miraculous. ‘Tests of character’ and shit like that. The trials the Avatar of Time go through... are by far the worst.”

  
Marinette’s jaw drops, “Alix is Bunnyx.”

  
“Not yet but she will be.”

  
“Your stupid sages are torturing my best friend!”

  
“I don’t agree with what they’re doing! But there’s nothing we can do to stop it!” Plagg pauses, “wait a whisker... thought you and the goofball were best friends?”

  
“Kim is my second oldest friend but Alix is my best friend. I mean, I suppose Kim is one of my best friends but Alix is my _best_ best friend.”

  
“Gotcha. I think.” Plagg clears his throat, “Now then... back on this loop bullshit. No one kwami is more powerful than any other. It ensures a fighting chance when we’re pitted against each other. Or in the event of corruption... or whatever.”

  
“Be that as it may, the kwami’s partners have different understandings and therefore different techniques and ‘levels.’ And that makes it seem like kwamis themselves aren’t equals. Lady Luck and I just started so we’re like one tier whereas we don’t know what Mite and Méfait are but we know they have more experience with their Miraculouses.”

  
Plagg floats out of the bag patting Marinette on the head, “it’s been half a millennia since I had a Kit with a brain, let alone common sense.” He wipes a tear from his eye. “I missed it so much.” Marinette chuckles as Plagg nudges her cheek with his.

  
🐇

  
Alix could swear she saw Chloé Bourgeois stuffing pâtissèries into her mouth while stuffing some into her purse, but she was bracketed between Kim and Marinette with Nathaniel behind her so she couldn’t get a second look.

  
“I feel like a spy or a security guard.” Kim looks around, “I need a pair of sunglasses, and one of those wrist communicators.”

  
“Alix! Happy birthday.” Marinette and Kim back up so Sabine and Tom can hug Alix. Right. She didn’t come to see them before in this loop... or reset or whatever they’re calling it.

  
When they let go, Sabine puts a finger to her chin. “Your papa called wondering where you were. He said that you said you’d stop by.”

  
“Yeah, I...” Alix frowns with a shrug, “last minute change of plans.”

  
Tom claps a hand on her shoulder, “well you’re here now and that’s all that matters.” He squints then does a double take, “wait a minute. Is that... Chloé Bourgeois stuffing pâtissèries into her purse?” Everyone turns toward where Tom is looking and sure enough, the blonde does a quick look around before shoving a tray into her purse until it’s empty then puts the empty tray back on the table and walks off whistling.

  
“Well, the Bourgeois’ are some of our best customers. Even if that rotten girl has some sort of vendetta against our daughter.” Sabine takes a deep breath then grabs one of Tom’s hands, “we have food to check on. Enjoy the festivities.” She pulls her husband along as they head into the boulangerie pâtissèrie.

  
The four of them split up to search the perimeter.

  
Nathaniel sits at the table with the presents. He surveys all of the tags and separates all the presents without tags. There’s a thump and he blanches at the large green and black polkadotted box then he blanches further when he sees Marc’s head pop up from behind the obnoxious box. “H-Hi, Nathaniel.”

  
“H-Hi, Marc.” What is it with him and his crush on witty, artistic blue-haired kids? The redhead gulps then points at the box, “t-that’s for Alix?”

  
Marc nods. “Marinette wanted something a bit more tasteful.” They take a small black and green heart-shaped box out of their pocket and place it on the large box. “Did you draw something for Alix?”

  
“D-Draw?” Nathaniel looks down at his sketchbook and gasps at the half-drawn familiar face looking back at him. “S-Something like that.” He tries to cover the sketchbook without being obvious about it.

  
“I guess I’ll see you at the art room on Monday. Bye.” Nathaniel waves as the blue-haired teen walks off then jumps when someone tsks. He turns to Chloé staring at him shaking her head.

  
“That was just pathetic.” She tries to take a present off the table but Nathaniel slaps her hand away. “Rude. Just want a peek. These gifts are probably all cheap and tacky, just like Alix. Her whole family come to think of it. Her brother is dressed like some kind of leper. So glad they’re only half related.”

  
“Wait a second. Her _brother_?” Nathaniel jumps up shaking the blonde’s shoulder, “where did you see him?”

  
“Take your hands off me before I break them!”

  
“This is important, Chloé. Alix’s brother is trying to kill her. We’re trying to stop him.”

  
“He’s... _on her birthday_!? What a tool!” Chloé points at the boulangerie pâtissèrie. “He suspiciously started looking around before he walked in. It might be a trap. I may not like frenetic, mini Kubdel but I don’t want anything permanently bad to happen to her.”

  
With a sigh, Nathaniel moves his arms. “Thank you.” He takes his phone out of his pocket and group texts Marinette, Kim, and Alix. Chloé lowers his arms so she can read the text. “What are you doing?”

  
“I want in. Attempted murder can get him serious jail time. Of course... Mini Kubdel’s had some—” The blonde grimaces, “— _trouble_ with law enforcement so I doubt Oncle Roger is inclined to believe her word over her brother’s. With him being that ‘perfect boyscout’ and all.” Chloé reads one of the responses then loudly gasps, “y-you’re...”

  
With a groan, Nathaniel grabs her hand and drags her off.

  
Alix and Marinette point at Chloé, as she and Nathaniel head to behind the boulangerie pâtissèrie. “What’s _she_ doing here?” They ask.

  
“I saw _someone’s_ leper of a brother walking into the shop. You’re welcome.”

  
“Chloé...” Nathaniel sighs, “suggested getting the cops involved.”

  
“Of course she did.” Kim mutters, “look, that ain’t gonna work for us. The cops don’t help the non rich and we don’t have enough money to bribe the police like your parents.”

  
“I don’t know the whole story behind that so I choose to not respond. Although I doubt my maman was involved in that scandal.” The blonde shakes her head, “nevertheless, I’m moving on. If there is no other alternative, I say we kill him and make it look like a suicide.” The four of them gape at her. “We can use arsenic.” She ticks off with one finger, “or give him anaphlyaxis by feeding him something he’s allergic to. There are dozens of deaths due to anaphylactic shock yearly.” She ticks that off with another finger, “there’s also the option of pushing him down the stairs but making it look like he tripped.” She ticks off a third finger.

  
“Where are you coming up with these?!” Marinette asks.

  
“I watch a lot of crime tv shows. Sure, the reality is practically nonexistent but strangely enough the realism of the causes of death are actually sound.” As the group is still gaping, she shrugs. “I need to know everything there is to know about the law when peasants poorly attempt to sue my fashion empire.”

  
“Is that even necessary? You can just pay them off.”

  
Chloé blinks at Kim, “huh. When did you get a brain?”

  
“Jalil doesn’t have any food allergies. We can’t kill him through anaphylaxis and if he can overhear us I guarantee that’s how he’ll kill me.”

  
“Set the building on fire.” Chloé turns to Marinette, “do your parents have fire insurance?”

  
“Yes but don’t you dare set the building on fire! My parents whole livelihood is in there! Not to mention all my designs! We can’t just go ahead and buy another building—”

  
“I will personally reimburse your family if it gets you to shut up.” Marinette snaps her mouth shut but glares at the blonde.

  
“That’s a _last_ , last resort.” Marinette gives Alix a pleading look she returns. “And we’ll set your hotel on fire if you don’t make good on your word, Bourgeois.”

  
The blonde puts one hand behind her back. “Girl scout cookies honor.”

  
Kim narrows his eyes at Chloé. “I think the reason you’re so into this is because you pretty much get permission to scheme.”

  
“I don’t _scheme_ , I strategize. Huge difference.” Kim shakes his head, “If we’re not committing arson or anaphylaxis, what _are_ we doing?”

  
Alix hums, “what’s a quick way to kill someone?”

  
“Smothering.” Chloé instantly replies. Alix suppresses a shudder. “Also blunt force trauma to the head or heart.”

  
“You can slit his throat.” Kim says with a shrug. “Or stab him in the heart.”

  
“You can tell a real friend by how quick they’re down to murder your abusive, asshole brother.” Nathaniel pats Alix on the shoulder. “Also you can electrocute him.”

  
Chloé, Kim, Alix, and Nathaniel turn to Marinette who rubs the back of her neck, “I-I don’t know. I don’t watch crime shows! M-Maybe you can break his neck? Or strangle him? Was that already said?”

  
“Kim’s bigger than him. He can strangle your brother.”

  
Kim cracks his knuckles, “it’ll be a pleasure.”

  
“Alright.” Chloé motions for everyone to huddle, “here’s what I’m thinking...”

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!”

  
“Mother _fucker_.” She groans punching Jalil in the nose. With a growl, she jumps out of bed stomping toward the bathroom. Before slamming the bathroom door shut she sees the clock flash 0013.

  
Alix turns on the water then dumps her face in the sink when it’s halfway full. Needless to say Chloé’s plan went belly up really fast. For someone who claims to know the realism when it comes to murder plotting, she didn’t know much about planning details.

  
 _Plus_ , Jalil overheard their ploy and pulled out the reverse Uno card and got the police on them for attempted murder. Nathaniel threw the arsenic Vinh gave him at the cops then they all ran off.

  
When she reached the Seine with Kim, she asked him to murder her to reset. The brunet was reluctant but eventually drowned her in the Seine by keeping her head below water.

  
Alix lifts her head from the sink then spits out water. “Huh?” She coughs up more water. “What the...?”

  
The mirror has her previous causes of death on her body and she coughs up more water. “Well... that’s gonna be annoying.”

  
“Okay... some kind of fuckery is going on.” Future Her greets jumping out of her portal. “Counterclockwise, Fluff.” The rabbit kwami exits the pocket watch on her hip. “I remember all fourteen deaths I experienced and there was never any drowning. What the fuck is going on?”

  
Alix shrugs, “you think I know? I’m living and dying as this goes along.” Her future self pinches the bridge of her nose.

  
“Something has created an extra path in the timeline.” Fluff replies. “Once your past self completes the time loop trial, her memories will come to you.”

  
“What’s gonna happen to my current memories then?”

  
“Nothing. There are many paths but they all lead to the same destination. For example, you didn’t come back in the past to talk to yourself a fourth time yet here you are.”

  
“I’ve come back four times now? I know _I’m_ not what’s messing with the timestream so what the fuck _is_?” Both Current Alix and Fluff shrug. “This is just bloody great. I’m gonna need you to go to the start and avoid the first two deaths then take the rest of the day as it happens.”

  
“I... don’t remember the exact order but I’ll try.”

  
🐇

  
Alix avoids breakfast and all the questions from her father as she flees the house. If she’s starting over trying to do stuff in order she heads to Kim and Vinh’s apartment first. Damn. That means she missed the whole ‘ahead of their time’ spiel. She hopes that bit wasn’t important.

  
“Hey Jellybean, happy b-day.”

  
“Thanks.”

  
Vinh narrows her eyes, “what happened?”

  
“Nearly got... crushed by a car. Or was it an ambulance truck? A telephone pole? Wait, this is confusing.” The brunette leads her to a chair.

  
“What? Start over from the beginning.”

  
“I don’t think I _can_. I’m confused.”

  
“Where’d you get that weird pocket watch from?”

  
“This?” Alix opens the pocket watch squinting at the 0013 that flashes on the inside before disappearing. “Birthday... present. So, um, hypothetically... if I am a target of a convoluted murder plot, how would I go about paying retribution?”

  
“Is someone trying to kill you?”

  
“I think Jalil is. I got this watch because I was born second.”

  
“I never thought that asshole would be so petty that he’d try to murder you because of jealousy? It’s not like you made yourself born second.” Wait... she _didn’t_ , did she? “What an asshole. I’ll tie him up in so many litigations—”

  
“I have a more permanent solution.” Kim interrupts, “we kill the asshole.”

  
“If I weren’t a lawyer I’d agree with that wholeheartedly. However... as a close friend of yours, Jellybean, I can tell you that if you do it right, I can make sure it never sees the light of a courthouse.”

  
“Damn sis, you’re a badass.” The brunette beams. “We need to get Marinette.”

  
Alix nods, “Nathaniel too.”

  
Vinh gives Alix a bottle, “cyanide. If you put it with almonds it’ll never be detected.” Kim stares at his sister in horror.

  
Next stop is Mac’s bookstore and Nathaniel. They greet the owner and make small talk before spotting Nathaniel. The redhead is gathering up art supplies in his already full arms. “Nath. Good seeing you.” Kim squeezes his shoulder then redirects him to the table.

  
“Y-You too?”

  
Alix has several books spread out in front of her but she can’t find the book with the Miraculouses. “Boys, we need a little research into the occult.” Kim rubs his hands together, “I’m being time looped. I... forgot to mention that before.”

  
Kim gives her an incredulous look. “I’ll say!”

  
“We’ve been through this before but shit changed.”

  
“No two instances of a time loop are ever the same.”

  
“Uh-huh. Let’s just read.”

  
“But if we did this before and you’re the only one that remembers... why are we doing this again?” Nathaniel asks.

  
Kim and Alix exchange a glance. “We need to replay what happened within the necessary parameters.”

  
“What?”

  
“Just read, dude.”

  
After the research and buying portion of the bookstore part of her day ends, the trio head to the boulangerie pâtissèrie.

  
“Alix!” Sabine and Tom greet hugging her. “Happy birthday!”

  
“Alix!” Marinette comes down the stairs then joins in on the hug. After a few seconds, Nathaniel and Kim also join in on the hug.

  
Once everyone disengages from the hug, Marinette grabs Alix’s hand. “I have your gift upstairs.”

  
“ _Oh_. Sh—uh...” She grins at Sabine and Tom smiling back at her, “I forgot to grab my gifts to you.”

  
“That’s okay. We’ll grab it tomorrow. Come take a look. It’s been a while since you’ve been in my room, right? We’ll be right back.”

  
Going up the flights of stairs to Marinette’s room, Alix looks around the different floors – having not done so in any of the previous resets she was in here.

  
Marinette opens the trap door then they head up to her room. “Love what you’ve done with the place.”

  
“Thanks. Need more pictures of all of us together. Then we’re gonna make more friends and take pictures of them.” Alix chuckles. “Now I know you’re not a dress girl but when I saw what this dress was called I knew I had to make you one.” She lifts up the sheet on one of her mannequins revealing a navy dress with hot pink wheels – the same color as her hair – on it. “It’s a skater dress!”

  
“ _Dude_!” Marinette laughs as Alix hugs her. “Dude.” She repeats releasing the blue-haired teen.

  
“You like it?”

  
“‘Like it?’ It’s outta this world, Marinette. I _love_ it!”

  
“I’m glad to hear it. I’ve been working on it for the past week. It’s not fully finished yet but I wanted to show you today since it’s our birthday.”

  
“I made you a sign with your name made out of rock candy—”

  
“Is it edible?”

  
“I _did_ make you an edible one too.” Marinette pumps her fist in the air. “Got a picture on my phone.” Alix takes out her phone, hoping Marinette didn’t see the 0013 that flashed on the screen, before unlocking it. She cruises through the gallery before showing Marinette her edible artwork. Man was that an interesting art class. _Wait_. None of this ever happened in any previous reset. Sure, she always made the artwork several days before but it was never brought up. They only exchanged the mini gifts.

  
What if getting her friends involved is messing with the timestream?

  
“I can’t wait to try it. It’s grape, right?”

  
“Is there any other flavor?”

  
“My mouth is watering. Maybe we can grab it later? I don’t think I can wait until tomorrow.”

  
Alix laughs, “sure thing.” Alix snaps her finger, “before that. I need your help. I’m caught in a time loop.”

  
“You... _what_? I’m over here talking about birthday gifts and you’re stuck in a time loop! W-Why didn’t you lead with that?!”

  
“I was excited about the dress!”

  
Marinette grabs her hand and leads her to the chaise where they both sit down, “tell me _everything_ , Alix Kubdel. Don’t make me invoke the rite of favors.”

  
“N-No. There’s no need. I’ll willingly tell you everything.”

  
Same birthday. Same middle name. Same gluten allergy. Same chaotic nature. There’s very little Alix keeps from Marinette and vice versa.

  
By the time Alix spills _every_ excruciating detail of all her time loops Marinette is staring at her gobsmacked. “I—You. _What the fuck_?” She holds her head, “that is the literal definition of a mind fuck.”

  
“Tell me about it.”

  
“What are you gonna do? I mean... how do you get out of the time loop? Did we have this conversation before? I’m sorry.”

  
“Don’t apologize. This is all new to me too. And... I don’t know how to get out of it.”

  
“I have to tell you something and I apologize for repeating it but I’ve... sorta met you in the future.”

  
“Huh?”

  
“Future You is a superhero called ‘Bunnyx.’ I was in a time reset myself before becoming Karma. She— _We_ met the first time I got my kwami but she reset the timestream or timeline or whatever and I had to redo the whole becoming Karma process because Lady Luck wasn’t there.”

  
“ _You’re_ Karma? Unfreakingbelievable. No wonder I preferred her— _you—_ to Lady Luck. Do you know who Lady Luck _is_? Do _I_?”

  
“You do but I don’t.”

  
“So we’re superheroes... together.” Marinette nods, “badass.” They fist bump. “I guess the time loops are gonna end when I gain my powers.”

  
“That’s a reasonable conclusion.”

  
“I’m supposed to die fourteen times and I’ve died twelve as this is reset thirteen.”

  
“Should I suit up to help?”

  
“No. Jalil might suspect something and if I gotta die again and we have this conversation again I don’t want him to know your identity.”

  
“Then let me help you as Marinette in whatever way I can.”

  
Alix hugs her, “you’re the best. I don’t tell you that enough.”

  
“So which of us is gonna break the news to Vinh about Kim actually being smart? I mean, I’ve always known—I mean I suspected as much, but... she is hard on him.”

  
“You don’t have any siblings, Marinette.”

  
“True.”

  
“I’ll...” Alix grimaces, “I’ll try to fit it into the next reset.” They separate. “Now that you know everything, how cool are you with murdering Jalil so he doesn’t ruin our party?”

  
“I’m 100% cool with it. Maybe I’ll claw his eyes out the next time he decides to willingly get possessed by an akuma.”

  
“That’s my girl.”

  
When they venture into the shop, it’s empty. “Māmā? Bàba?”

  
“Ooh.” Jalil rounds the corner dragging along a bloody kitchen knife, “Mme. Cheng and M. Dupain aren’t here right now.”

  
“What the fuck did you do, you sadistic fuck?”

  
“What I _did_ was gain your attention. I’m helping you out by murdering you and you get your future self to cheat? So typical of you to play dirty.”

  
“Leave Alix alone. If she’s to die it won’t be because of you.”

  
“Back off Dupain-Cheng. I like you. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
“Go fuck yourself.”

  
The brunet sighs. “ _See_? Ordinarily, I’d find your loyalty endearing but right now? It’s pissing me off.” He drops the knife then opens the draw and takes out a pair of kitchen shears. “Just let me kill you, Alix. Then we only have to go through with this one more time.”

  
“If you know what’s gonna happen, I’m sure you realize you’re sounding like a broken record.”

  
“I don’t know _how_ you managed to fuck up the world _again_ but I going to kill you as many times as I have to in order to figure it out.”

  
“Marinette! Alix!” The aforementioned girls gasp as a heavily bleeding from her stomach Sabine stumbles into the kitchen. “ _Run_! He... your father. Tom, _oh Tom_!” She sobs. “Kim and Nathaniel. He—He killed them. He killed them all!” She slumps to the floor and the girls run over to her.

  
“It’s really all your fault, Alix.”

  
“I’m going skin you alive.” Alix growls.  
  


“Māmā, hold on.” Marinette cries. “We’ll fix this. I promise. There’s nothing Alix and I can’t do together.” She gets up and turns to Jalil, “I’m standing my ground. He’s going to pay for this.”

  
“Marinette, _no!_ ”

  
“There’s no other choice, Māmā.” She picks up the broomstick leaning against the wall. “You want a fight, you pasty asshole? Come get one.”

  
Jalil grips the kitchen shears, “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

  
“Alix. You have to kill yourself. Don’t let him touch you.”

  
Jalil growls, “don’t you fucking dare! You’re already screwing everything up!”  
  


Giving Marinette a quick hug, Alix dashes up the stairs.  
  


Jalil runs after her but Marinette trips him with the broomstick then twirls it to hit him on the hand knocking the shears down then she lifts the broomstick to hit him in the chin.

  
“Kill me, you fucking asshole! _I want you to_!” Jalil growls, wiping the blood from his mouth then getting up charging at Marinette.

  
Alix runs into Marinette’s room then quickly looks around. There’s nothing...

  
She stares up at the skylight. “Oh... fuck me.” With a sigh, she climbs out the window then out onto the balcony. It’s four stories high and she takes a deep breath. “This is for you, Marinette.” She steps onto the railing then swan dives off the boulangerie pâtissèrie.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Jalil’s eyes widen before Alix’s fist connects with his jaw. He cries out in pain clutching his bleeding mouth.

  
“Jalil! Are you alright? I told you we shouldn’t’ve crowded the bed shouting. You know how much of a light sleeper your sister is.” With a sigh, he helps his son up then ushers him out of the room. “Happy...” When Alix turns to him he blinks then opens his mouth a bit before shaking his head, “happy birthday. I made breakfast. It’s downstairs.”

  
Alix stares at him, “I—” She glances at the clock that flashes 0015 but neither her father nor Jalil catch it, “I promised Marinette I’d head over there straight away. Gotta exchange our gifts and all that before the party.”

  
“Surely you’ll have time to eat breakfast before you go?”

  
“We’ll see.” His eyes narrow before he forces a smile and nods, closing the door behind him.

  
Alix rolls her eyes then slowly climbs out of bed. She shuffles over to the bedroom locking it for good measure before heading into the bathroom. She slowly looks at herself in the mirror then squints because she’s pretty damn sure her eyes were glowing but she blinked and they stopped.

  
“Huh. Maybe that’s why they reacted the way they did.”

  
Alix turns the shower on. Marinette is Karma. It’s both surprising and yet not surprising at all. Karma called herself the embodiment of bad luck – Marinette claims she’s been plagued with clumsiness since birth. Alix met her when she moved to Paris and bought the building turning it into a boulangerie pâtissèrie. Or maybe it was already a pâtissèrie when they bought it? She doesn’t remember.

  
The point is they met at école maternelle. Both the new kid in the city. Alix was in Nantes until age three and she still – to this day – has no idea why they moved to Paris.

  
They met and instantly hit it off then a year later Kim Lê Chiên entered their lives.

  
Now this recent bit of knowledge somewhat explains Marinette’s unquestionable skill with cylindrical objects. Karma’s weapons are a pair of batons. Maybe that’s also why she’s so damn good at sewing. Needles both knitting and the tiny barely visible ones are... somewhat cylindrical.

  
Alix splashes some water on her face as she brushes her teeth.

  
She’s gotta see Marinette _first_. When she draws back the curtain a portal opens and her future self steps out then grimaces as she’s hit with water. “Thought I timed that better.”

  
“If you’re me you know I don’t have time for this. I gotta get to Marinette.”

  
“Did you not realize that there was no fourteen? The clock jumped to fifteen. How did you die last reset?”

  
“I jumped from a...” Alix looks up then furrows her eyebrows, “anaphlyaxis. Wait... that was—how was that _before_ jumping off the building. Why did fourteen and thirteen blend into one thing?”

  
“I don’t know!”

  
“ _You don’t know_!? How do you not know!? _I’m_ the one that doesn’t know how any of this works!”

  
“Stop panicking. That’s not gonna help.”

  
“You know what will help? Me getting to Marinette.”

  
“She’s fine. Don’t forget the edible artwork this time.”

  
Alix narrows her eyes at her future self. “Why didn’t you go to see her once she became Karma the second time?”

  
“She’s fine.” Future Alix repeats, “Minibug... she needs us more. I-I didn’t really know her. I mean, _you_ didn’t really— _don’t really_ know her. I think I’m what’s screwing things up. Thought I wasn’t but...” Future Alix sighs. “She goes through it. You... you and Disaster Kitty need to be there for her. She’ll be a new girl at your school in less than two weeks. While it’s easy for you and Marinette to make friends she’s a tough one. You gotta keep trying. You two will get along given your blunt natures.”

  
“Won’t telling me all this mess things up with time and junk?”

  
“If this time loop bullshit has taught me _anything_ it’s that as the Avatar of Time we carve multiple paths and find a way to walk ‘em all. Besides—” She gestures around them, “you have already died fourteen times and are still in the loop. I have memories of paths other Alix Kubdel’s took and each one leads to me becoming Bunnyx. I’m pretty much the manifestation of a thousand – or more – Alix Kubdels doing their thing.”

  
“Doesn’t that get confusing?”

  
“Immensely. Plus I’m still living my life so...” She shrugs, “yeah.” She finally steps out of the shower. “Just do me one favor, alright?” Current Alix nods, “try and become Bunnyx _before_ turning seventeen?”

  
“You told me fourteen was a wild year, right? Why not be Bunnyx now?”

  
“Atta girl.” Future Alix hugs her current self. “By the way, that swan dive?” She chef kisses, “premo perfection.” She opens a portal, “little side note. Marinette killed the shit out of Jalil. Beat him to death with the broomstick.” Future Alix puts a hand on her chest, “I love that girl so much.” Current Alix mimics the motion, clutching both hands over her chest. “Now, try to enjoy this hellscape of a day?”

  
“No promises.” With a wink, Future Alix disappears behind the portal. “Wait... was—was she—did she have an _umbrella_ strapped to her back?!”

  
🐇

  
After getting a hug from Tom and Sabine, Alix rushes up the stairs. As she climbs the staircase to Marinette’s room, her foot gets caught in one of the spaces between the steps. Grumbling, Alix tries to free her foot and succeeds but she tumbles backwards.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix!_ ”

  
“Wait... _what_?” Alix facepalms then sits up headbutting Jalil in the jaw. He howls in pain clutching his bleeding mouth.

  
“Jalil, I told you we shouldn’t’ve crowded the bed shouting.” Their father sighs, ushering his son out of the room. “Happy birthday Alix, I—I—” He frowns briefly then schools his features, “breakfast is downstairs.”

  
“Thanks but I gotta head to Marinette’s. I’ll eat there.”

  
“Are you sure?”

  
“Positive.” Forcing a smile the man nods then closes the door behind him. A little harder than the last reset.

  
With a sigh, Alix shuffles to the door locking it for good measure then shuffles into the bathroom picking up her toothbrush.  
  


“Can’t believe I fucking died falling down the stairs...”

  
0016 writes in the mirror... _in blood_. Alix gapes then looks at her reflection in the mirror. All her previous causes of death are on her body. Including her newer ones. She can see water filled in her lungs, wincing as she touches her stomach. Her body looks like it’s been through the wringer – and it has.

  
She squints at her reflection, “is that a slit across my throat? That must be the death I’m missing. Wait...” She looks at the bloody number in the corner. “Sixteen...” She sighs. “Guessing I needed a reset after the last one.” She shakes her head, “ _fucking staircase_...” Alix mutters. “Unbelievable.”

  
Her esophagus is sorta purple and mottled. Probably from her throat closing up due to anaphylaxis. Her pharynx is also mottled with bruises.

  
“Let’s see... falling down the stairs.” She shakes her head with a sigh but holds up a finger. “Pushed out the window.” Holds up another finger, “drowned.” A third finger, “...” She hums, “what else was there?”

  
She punches the mirror then uses a shard to cut her finger then she writes down her causes of death with her blood on the mirror.

  
So far she has: suffocation. Electrocution. Electrocution _again_. Getting electrocuted twice by two different methods? She’s never stepping near electronics again as long as she can help it.

  
Let’s see... what else? Struck by ambulance. Brained by telephone pole. Blunt force trauma to head thanks to her future self needing to reset things.

  
Alix grimaces at the blood caked into her hair and the patches of her head that’s missing hair and some skin. Cool. So _that’s_ what the inside of a human head looks like.

  
Where was she? Anaphylaxis. Suicide by jumping off building. Assisted suicide by drowning. Burned alive and slash or exploded when Mac’s bookstore caught fire. Throat, evidently, slit though she doesn’t know when or with what. Poisoned by breakfast. Possibly pushed out a window by her asshole brother. Oh... right. Why does she keep forgetting the beheading?

  
Maybe because she doesn’t remember that one. Or the throat slitting. Is... Is _that_ why she’s gone past fourteen? No. There are two other deaths she doesn’t remember.

  
Alix takes a step back and counts everything written on the mirror.

  
Grimacing, she writes fell down stairs.

  
“All fifteen.”

  
Her eyes flash a white blue then all her causes of death on her body and the blood on the mirror disappear.

  
“That was... new.”

  
🐇

  
“Why the long face, papa?”

  
He glances at Jalil then looks upstairs, “what’s taking her so long?”

  
“Her breakfast is getting cold.” Jalil pops a piece of bread into his mouth before his father can stop him.

  
“What have you done!? That was for Alix.”

  
“She won’t mind.”

  
“I poisoned it.”

  
“You _what_!? What the fuck—” Jalil tries to gag. He gets up from the table and runs the water in the sink lapping at it.

  
“It’s no use. It’s already in your system. You’ll die in six hours.”

  
“You’ve been poisoning her this entire time?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  
“You seemed pretty damn eager to kill her.”

  
“At least I wasn’t killing her with a smile. How sick are you?”

  
“You have no room to talk! Getting possessed by an akuma?” He shoves the plate toward Jalil, “you might as well finish it. I’ll come up with something.” He sighs. “She... it doesn’t even seem like she’s gaining any power from the resets. Maybe this trial was simply a warm-up?”

  
“Don’t hurt yourself overthinking things.” Jalil steals some food off the plate and eats it. “I’ll kill Alix. I seemed to have better success at the task than you.”

  
The man scoffs, “your arrogance is the reason the other curators don’t take you seriously.” Jalil bristles. “ _I’m_ putting an end to this.” He marches upstairs.

  
Jalil scrambles and follows after him.

  
By the time he unlocks Alix’s bedroom door, she’s standing there in a towel. “What the fuck?” Jalil winces as their father grabs the teen by the hair. “What are you doing?”

  
“Fixing your brother's screw up.” Alix manages to tear away from him, losing some hair in the process but he grabs her by the waist. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Alix. I take no joy in this.”

  
“You fucking liar! You’re just as sick as he is!”

  
“Don’t you dare speak to me that way! I am your father.”

  
Still carrying a struggling Alix, he enters his bedroom. He briefly looks around before carrying Alix over to the weight lifting machine.

  
“What the fuck are you going to do?” Jalil asks.

  
“You’re still here? Make yourself useful and—” Alix manages to wrap her body around her father’s arm then uses the momentum that causes him to lose balance to flip him onto the floor.

  
Jalil takes a step back as her body glows a blinding white. “Did you even give her the pocket watch?”  
  


Stunned, their father slowly sits up. “No. _Grab! Her_!” Jalil automatically obeys, picking up Alix who immediately stops glowing. She struggles in his grasp kicking him in the leg causing him to drop her.

  
“Alix, you don’t know what you’re doing!”

  
Alix wordlessly picks up a weight and chucks it at her father who barely manages to move out the way. He scrambles to his feet as Alix picks up whatever she can reach and throws it at him.

  
Jalil tries to make a grab for her but she tackles him and he falls on his back.

  
“I killed him and nothing happened so now I’m gonna kill you.” Their father’s eyes widens as Alix pulls the weight lifting string and ties it around her father’s neck then drags him away from the machine.

  
Jalil gasps and Alix uses his surprise to chuck a weight disk at his head. It gets stuck in his head and he falls to the ground.

  
“You stupid child!” He chokes out. “I have time powers more powerful than yours.”

  
“I heard the same bull from Jalil right before I beat his ass. Tell me why you couldn’t just _talk to me_! Don’t you think I deserve to know why my father continuously tried to kill me?”

  
“I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  
“Really? Then I don’t owe you an apology.” She wraps the string around a second time then ties it. He gasps for air.

  
“This...” He pants out, “this won’t matter in the next reset.”

  
“You talk about Jalil’s arrogance? Guess you never wondered where he got it from.” Alix puts a weight on the machine’s outstretched string and it topples over on her father.

  
Alix walks back into her room then the bathroom and fills the bathtub with water. She stares at her reflection before dropping the towel and climbing into the bathtub then submerges herself in the water.

  
🐇

  
“ _Happy birthday, Alix_!” Blue eyes snap open and Alix rolls her eyes before punching Jalil in the eye.

  
She jumps out of bed pushing Jalil out the way before their father can get to him.

  
“Happy birthday, Alix. I have something for you.”

  
“Really?”

  
Alix furrows her eyebrows at the pocket watch in her father’s hands. “Family heirloom. The Kubdels were considered ahead of their time.” He puts the pocket watch in Alix’s hand then ushers Jalil out the room. “Your breakfast is downstairs. Don’t let it get cold.”

  
Alix stares at the pocket watch that projects 0017 for two seconds before the numbers disappear. “This so did not happen before. At all.”

  
The pocket watch flashes white then a beam of light ejects from it. Alix drops the pocket watch in shock as the beam ping-pongs around her room. When it charges straight at her she dives out of its way.

  
Peering out from behind her bed, she sees a small white rabbit looking around. “ _No way_!” At the sound of her voice the rabbit floats over to her.

  
They stare at each other.

  
The kwami taps its chin, “no... you’re still not powerful enough but don’t worry! Fluff is on the job!” As Alix gets up Fluff pats her chest then her body pulses.

  
Eyes widening, Alix clutches her chest then her eyes roll in the back of her head and she collapses.

  
“ _Oof_. Dammit, Fluff! That was too stimulating!” The kwami takes a deep breath before glowing. “Okay. _One_ more time. Just don’t over do it.”

  
🐇

  
Blue eyes snap open to the sound of the _Lucky Lucky_ theme song. Alix surges upward in bed but is met with air. Squinting, she makes out the number 0018 on her clock before it turns to 10:51am.

  
“What?!” She scrambles out of bed tripping over the sheets and falling onto her face. “Uncool...” Gasping, she sees her pocket watch – that her father hasn’t given her yet – on the floor. “Huh!?”

  
A small white beam shoots out of the watch then ping-pongs around the room. Wait... this happened already? Instead of diving out of the way, Alix stands – or lays – her ground and the beam hits her in the forehead.

  
When the brightness dissipates, Fluff is rubbing their head. “ _Alix_!” They nudge her cheek with theirs. Before Alix can open her mouth, Fluff floats over to her back and presses both hands on it. Alix opens her mouth and her body pulses.

  
The process shocks her and she jumps to her feet.

  
“You didn’t die this time!” Fluff flies around her head, “Thank the sages! I’m so sorry about last time! I was so excited I overstimulated the charge needed for your body to use the Miraculous.”

  
“Huh?”

  
“You told Future You that you wanted to be Bunnyx this year.” Fluff pats themself on the chest, “I just made that happen. Don’t worry. I’m here with you in this time and in the future.” Alix blinks at the kwami. “You are the only Miraculous user capable of using your abilities without transforming.”

  
“Isn’t that dangerous?”

  
“Immensely! Which is why you don’t do it often.”

  
Alix sits on her bed and Fluff floats over to her. “I say counterclockwise to get you to break the transformation, I’m guessing clock—” Fluff covers her mouth and nods. Sighing, Alix nods then Fluff moves their hand.

  
“Do you remember every reset?”

  
“Unfortunately. I was a total badass choking out my own papa, though.” She chuckles to herself. “But what happened after that?”

  
Fluff grins, “you scared them. As they remembered everything, they tried to replan thinking you wouldn’t remember what you did.”

  
Alix rubs Fluff’s head and the kwami preens. “ _Oh_! My phone was ringing.” Fluff flies over to Alix’s phone and picks it up carrying it over to the pink-haired teen. “Call from Marinette...” Alix blinks, “I nearly forgot my best friend is a superhero. I gotta tell her she told me in a time loop.” She facepalms, “then I gotta tell her about all the loops.” Alix gasps, “ _wait_... a-are they—I mean... are the loops done?”

  
“No. But try not to die before the party?”

  
Alix gets off her bed then crawls under it. She lifts her head while under the bed and bumps it against the bottom of the bed, _twice_ , before crawling out from under the bed with a box.

  
As she opens the box, Fluff hovers over it gasping in awe.

  
🐇

  
“Happy birthday...” Alix glares at both of them.

  
“I’m going to Marinette’s to enjoy my birthday. If either of you try killing me—” Her future self left her a bunny-shaped swiss army knife in the bathroom. She holds up the pocket watch in one hand the _opened_ swiss army knife in the other. “I’m going to kill you both. Then I’m gonna reset and kill you both again. Anyway, see ya!” Before the door closes behind her, she sees her father and brother gaping at each other.

  
She _skates_ to Marinette’s place (and Alix has to facepalm wondering why the hell hadn’t she skated in any of the previous time loops?).

  
Before she can open the shop door, she hears tires screeching. Gasping, Alix skates in the building wincing at the loud bang. She peers out the window seeing the ambulance truck slammed into the telephone pole. The driver gets out cradling their midsection as they look around.

  
“What on earth was that noise?” Tom looks out the window and gasps. He nearly steps on Alix making him gasp again. “ _Alix_! I’m so sorry.” He grimaces.

  
“It’s alright. Not your fault I’m bite-sized.”

  
Tom’s grimace widens, “I— _you said that, not me_.” Alix fondly rolls her eyes then hugs the jovial man. “Happy birthday, Bite-size. Marinette is freaking out for some reason. Think you can pacify her?”

  
“I’ll try.”

  
Alix _carefully_ climbs up each stair. Sabine catches her and eyes her suspiciously but waves back when Alix waves at her. Alix hits her head on the trap door, then grumbles.

  
The trap door opens and Marinette gasps pulling Alix inside. “Are you alright?! I-I called you.” She looks Alix over.

  
“What’s gotten into you?”

  
“I know this is gonna sound... sketchy, but we were in some kind of time loop. You died. I think? No. I’m sure you died.”

  
“You remember the time loops?”

  
“Loop _s_? L-Like _more than one_!?”

  
“Told you to stop freaking out, Kit.”

  
Alix blinks as Marinette turns to the cat kwami, “ _Plagg_! I thought you said I had to keep my identity a secret?”

  
“She already knows.”

  
Gaping, Marinette turns to Alix who nods. “Though, to be fair, you told me in one of the time loops. But don’t worry.” She lifts up her hat and Fluff, sitting on her head, waves.

  
“A-A _rabbit_.” Marinette’s eyes widen, “ _y-you’re_ baby Bunny! I mean, Bunnyx! Do you know who Lady Luck is?”

  
Alix shakes her head, “I’m sure Future Me knows but she said Lady Luck is gonna transfer to our school in two weeks and we gotta befriend her.”

  
“How will we know she’s Lady Luck?”

  
“We won’t.”

  
Marinette nods stroking her chin, “are we gonna tell Nathaniel, Kim, and Vinh about the time loops?”

  
“Yeah. But not about us being superheroes.” Marinette nods in agreement. “Anyway, nice to meet you. Plagg?” The cat kwami nods floating over to her.

  
“I like the way baby Bunny smells. Less like ink.”

  
“Wait. Do you remember all the loops?” Plagg nods. “Ah. Oh, hey. You know the best part about me knowing your identity? I can cover for you when Mite and Méfait stir up trouble.”

  
“But what about when we both need to suit up?”

  
“We’ll deal with that when we get to it. For now, I’m not suiting up. I need to practice with my powers first. Apparently, I can use them without transforming.”

  
“Cool.” They hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  
Together with Marinette, they head to Vinh and Kim’s apartment then the bookstore before returning to the boulangerie pâtissèrie at four for the party.

  
Thankfully, with the Miraculouses and curses becoming a more commonly brought up topic, they believed Alix no problem. Though, Alix suspected, they’d believe her regardless. She has such awesome friends. Wish she could say the same about her piece of shit family.

  
The pink-haired teen does a double take as she sees Chloé Bourgeois stuffing her face and her purse. Scratching her head, Alix walks off with Marinette.

  
“Chloé? What the hell are you doing here?” Kim asks, approaching the blonde.

  
The blonde glares at Kim who glares back. “If you didn’t want people showing up you should’ve made the _event_ private.” She pushes past him to a table.

  
Kim sighs, “sorry, that’s my fault.” He turns to the orange-haired pretty new girl Alya. “Chloé tried to get me to not show up, but I wanted to see Alix so I suggested we stop by for a bit then go to Le Grand Paris for some private concert with someone named ‘XY?’”

  
“Chloé’s probably showing off because you’re new. XY’s not even that great. Name’s Kim.” He gives the orange-haired teen a little wave. “I’d be careful if I were you. Chloé seems to only have two attitudes when it comes to people: adoration and hatred.”

  
“Got it. Thanks for the heads up.”

  
“I think I saw Alix somewhere around here.” Kim looks over Alya’s shoulder and his eyes widen, “uh... help yourself to... whatever!” Then he runs off. He runs to the present table where Nathaniel is sitting. “I just saw Jalil. Do we try and kill him or just watch?”

  
“Alix said she threatened him. I don’t think he’s come looking for a fight...or his death. We’ll just observe.” Kim nods then watches Jalil look around before stuffing a whole cupcake in his mouth.  
  


“Wait a minute... w-wasn’t his nose broken?”

  
“Huh?”

  
“We were in multiple time loops, right? Do you think we’ll start remembering everything that happened?”

  
Nathaniel sighs, “it’s possible. I don’t remember anything.”

  
Kim nods with a hum, “oh. By the way. I remember Marc dropping off presents at this table. Ask them to help you with that comic you’ve been working on.”

  
“What comic?” Kim winks at him then walks off whistling. The redhead’s eyes narrow, glaring at the brunet’s retreating form. “Why is Kim remembering stuff but I’m not? Am I less magically in-tuned?" When a large—scratch that when an obnoxious black and green polkadotted box drops down an image flashes before Nathaniel’s eyes.

  
“Hi, Nathaniel.”

  
The redhead instinctively covers his sketchbook and waves. “H-Hi!” He squeaks out then internally winces. What is it and his budding crushes on creative blue-haired kids?

  
🐇

  
Marinette and Alix stare at the cheques in Tom’s hand. “‘Pocket change?’” They repeat.

  
Tom nods handing them each a cheque. “to be honest. Didn't think she'd do anything let alone right each of you a cheque. If she considers a thousand euros mere ‘pocket change,’ I am rather curious about how much she considers a lot of money.”

  
Alix holds up the cheque to the light, “you only do that with fake notes, Alix.” Marinette whispers.

  
“Oh.”

  
“Are you two alright? Birthday party serves no purpose without the birthday girls.” Tom furrows his eyebrows as they exchange a brief glance. Must be that best friend secret communication thing. Sometimes they can even read each other’s minds without making eye contact. It’s as impressive as it is... disturbing.

  
“Papa, can Alix stay here?”

  
“For the sleep—” Marinette quickly shakes her head, “of course she can. For however as long as she needs to. Is... did something happen at home?”

  
“I-I—” Alix sighs, “I got caught in a time loop where my papa and Jalil sorta competed to kill me... if that counts?”

  
“They _what_!? A time loop!?” Tom massages his temples, “this is why I don’t touch magic. Just give me good ol’ physical carnage. This magic stuff hurts my head. Isn’t this the sort of thing one presses charges for? We have Vinh. Although she’s the Bourgeois’ personal lawyer she does pro bono as well. I mean I’ve always known that man was neglectful but to try and kill you!? I don’t even care the reason! He’s not getting within a kilometer of you! Neither is your jackass of a brother. Give Marinette your house key and the two of us will gather all the stuff you can’t live without when we know neither of them will be there.”

  
“Damn M. D, I wasn’t expecting full-on rage mode.”

  
“You’re like a daughter to me, Alix, and a sister to Marinette. I’d put my life on the line for you—” He pauses, “something tells me I already did.” He sighs, “ _magic_.” He grumbles shaking his head. “Take as much time as you two need. I’m gonna conflab with Sabine.”

  
“Bàba.” Both Marinette and Alix shake their heads at him.

  
“What? Your fashion judges can talk fancy but I can’t? That’s terribly biased!” They both laugh as he walks down the staircase.

  
“See? I told you they’d be cool with it, and even if they somewhere weren’t you had Vinh and Kim as option two. Even Mlle. Sasha would’ve let you stay.” Marinette puts a hand on your shoulder, “all of us want you out of that toxic environment. I’m just glad I didn’t have to invoke the rite of favors to convince you to stay.”

  
Alix playfully shoves Marinette.

  
“Now, come on, let’s go cut our birthday cake.”


End file.
